The University of Texas at Arlington (near Dallas) has an association with the Automation and Robotics Research Institute for graduate level students. There are also opportunities in the senior year of a bachelor's program to do some undergraduate research (technical electives and a senior design project) that involve activities at the institute.
For more information, you can visit:
http://www-mae.edu/
http://www/mars.uta.edu/
http://63.98.55.51/arri/