HD Hyundai said Monday it has signed a joint development agreement with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Robotics and US robotics firm Persona AI to develop and commercialize welding humanoid robots for shipyards.

The signing ceremony was held at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, attended by Lee Dong-ju, head of the Manufacturing Innovation Lab at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Song Young-hoon, head of solution development at HD Hyundai Robotics, and Nick Radford, CEO of Persona AI.

The agreement builds on a partnership signed in May 2025, following positive evaluations of a prototype’s technical feasibility and on-site applicability.

Under the deal, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering will develop artificial intelligence-based welding training systems using field data and apply them to shipbuilding processes. HD Hyundai Robotics will lead system integration, including quality analysis, control technologies and on-site testing.

Persona AI will develop a bipedal humanoid platform designed for stable movement in complex shipyard environments.

The partners aim to develop humanoid robots capable of performing high-skill tasks such as welding, mobility, perception and precision control, with plans for gradual deployment across shipyard operations.

A key focus will be precision control technology that replicates the workflows of experienced welders, using physical AI-based welding systems to meet the demanding requirements of shipbuilding.

“Shipyard-specific humanoids will form the foundation of future smart shipyards by enhancing worker safety and improving productivity,” an HD Hyundai official said.

“By applying humanoids to shipbuilding sites, we aim to lead a new paradigm in the industry.”
Source: Korea Herald