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HD Hyundai Moving Forward with Humanoid Welding Robot for Shipyards

humanoid welding robot
Rendering of Persona AI's prototype for a humanoid welding robot (Persona AI)

Published Mar 23, 2026 6:59 PM by The Maritime Executive


HD Hyundai has been working on several projects to develop technology that would support the use of humanoid robots to undertake precision tasks at its shipyard. The company announced on March 23 that it had completed a positive evaluation and is now moving to the next phase of the project.

The parent company said HD Kore Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the intermediary holding company for its shipyards, will be partnering with HD Hyundai Robotics and a U.S.-based industrial humanoid robotics company, Persona AI, to develop and commercialize humanoid welding robots for its shipyards.

Persona AI reports its development strategy is to build a modular humanoid platform and to deliver skilled industrial labor across shipyards, energy, construction, and manufacturing. It says its humanoid robots are being designed for skilled physical work in complex industrial environments. The company entered into an initial partnership to explore the concepts with HD Hyundai in May 2025. 

The Korean company reports it completed a positive evaluation for a prototype’s technical feasibility and on-site applicability. It signed the next phase with a joint development agreement during a ceremony at its HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in South Korea.

The new partnership calls for KSOE to develop artificial intelligence-based welding training systems based on actual field data. They will be applied to the shipbuilding processes. HD Hyundai Robotics will lead the system integration, including on-site testing. Persona AI will develop a bipedal humanoid robot based on its current designs that will be able to conduct stable movement in the shipyard environment.

They said the focus will be on high-skilled tasks such as welding, as well as other precision applications. HD Hyundai predicts that shipyard-specific humanoids will be a key part of the future smart shipyard. They expect it will increase safety and productivity and help it to address current labor shortages.