South Korea’s largest shipbuilder is turning to humanoid robots to address ongoing labour shortages and rising ship orders. HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has partnered with HD Hyundai Robotics, Houston-based Persona AI, and manufacturing firm, Vazil Company to develop humanoid robots capable of performing complex welding tasks in shipyards.
The humanoid welders are expected to not only improve productivity but also reduce physical strain and safety risks for human workers. The joint initiative aims to roll out the first prototype humanoids by the end of 2026. Field testing and full-scale commercial deployment are planned to begin in 2027.
These humanoids will be designed specifically to handle welding operations, including intricate and hazardous tasks in confined areas of ship hulls.
Persona AI will lead the development of the humanoid hardware along with artificial intelligence systems that enable autonomous movement, task execution, and learning capabilities. Vazil Company will focus on designing advanced welding tools and constructing a realistic industrial testing environment.
Meanwhile, HD KSOE will facilitate deployment in live shipyard settings and contribute engineering data gathered from real-world conditions. HD Hyundai Robotics will provide AI training data for welding paths and evaluate the robots’ performance.
This collaboration comes as South Korean shipyards struggle with workforce shortages, especially in high-risk areas such as welding.
With this move, South Korea’s shipbuilding sector is taking clearing progresaing toward smart shipyards where humans and robots will collaborate to meet the growing demands of global ship orders.
