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ABS Plans to Test Out a Humanoid Robot for Classification

Persona AI
Illustration courtesy Persona AI

Published Sep 23, 2025 6:28 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Houston-based class society ABS has announced a new collaboration with robotics company Persona AI to develop a humanoid robot for shipyard uses. Robotic systems offer a way to perform the same task with fewer workers, freeing up scarce personnel for other jobs.

ABS' plan for this new technology is to use robotically-collected data for classification during ship construction, enabling remote survey techniques. The trial will help develop new class standards for the type and quality of data collected by robots. 

"This marks a defining moment for the shipbuilding industry,” said Nic Radford, CEO and Co-Founder of Persona AI. “Partnering with ABS, the global authority on maritime standards, demonstrates that humanoid robotics are no longer a distant concept but on a path toward certified reality."

A shipyard is a challenging work environment, and doubly so for robots. As projects ebb and flow, the layout of the yard changes dynamically: staging areas and workspaces are constantly shifting as materials and partially completed blocks are moved through the facility. This bears little resemblance to assembly-line industries like auto manufacturing, where robotic arms and welders can be programmed to work on the same objects in the same sequence day after day. 

Robotic work in shipbuilding tends towards repeatable tasks, like CNC cutting and robotic panel welding. Humanoid robot applications are fewer, but are gaining traction - notably in Korea, where automation is a key part of the business model. HD Hyundai Samho is working with a German-made humanoid robot, Neura's 4NE1, an AI-powered system built to step in "when skilled workers are hard to find" for industrial environments. Neura says that it is a "cognitive robot" that can learn from its surroundings and navigate complex situations. 

Earlier in the year, HD KSOE announced a partnership Vazil Company and Persona AI - the same firm working with ABS - to create a humanoid welding robot. The first prototypes are due at the end of 2026, with plans for field testing and full commercial deployment in 2027.