Hyundai-backed humanoid robots to transform welding in shipyards

Hyundai has partnered with US robotics firm Persona AI to develop humanoid robots specialized in welding for shipyards, aiming to address labor shortages in high-risk industrial tasks. The collaboration involves HD Hyundai, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), and HD Hyundai Robotics. Persona AI will design a bipedal humanoid platform capable of stable movement in challenging shipyard environments, while HD KSOE will develop AI-based welding training systems using shipyard data, and HD Hyundai Robotics will manage system integration, quality control, and field testing. The project builds on a May 2025 partnership and successful prototype evaluations, targeting a prototype completion by late 2026 and commercial deployment in 2027. The initiative seeks to automate complex shipbuilding processes by deploying robots capable of high-skill tasks such as welding, mobility, perception, and precision control. Persona AI emphasizes its humanoid platform’s modular design and dexterous robotic hand, derived from NASA-linked technology, enabling precise work in