HD Hyundai has announced a major partnership with US robotics firm Persona AI to develop and deploy humanoid welding robots in shipyard operations. The joint development agreement, signed on March 23, 2026, brings together HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Robotics, and Persona AI in a collaboration aimed at addressing skilled labor shortages in the shipbuilding industry.

Under the agreement, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering will develop AI-based welding training systems using operational data from shipyard environments. HD Hyundai Robotics will oversee system integration, including quality analysis, control technologies, and on-site testing. Persona AI will design a bipedal humanoid platform specifically engineered for stable movement in the complex and challenging conditions of shipyard operations.

The partnership builds on a preliminary agreement from May 2025, following successful evaluations of prototype technical feasibility. The collaborators aim to produce robots capable of performing high-skill tasks including welding, mobility, perception, and precision control. A prototype is targeted for completion by late 2026, with field testing and commercial deployment planned for 2027.

Persona AI emphasizes that its humanoid systems are designed for "3D" tasks—dull, dirty, and dangerous—commonly found in shipyards, construction, and energy infrastructure. The company's platform uses interchangeable "Personas" that allow adaptation across industries and tasks, with a modular design featuring a highly dexterous robotic hand derived from NASA-linked intellectual property.

"Humanoids tailored for shipyards will serve as a key foundation for future smart facilities by enhancing worker safety while improving production efficiency," HD Hyundai stated. "We plan to lead a new paradigm in the shipbuilding industry by introducing humanoids into ship construction sites."

The collaboration represents a significant step toward building smart shipyards where humans and robots operate side by side, addressing workforce attrition in key trades that can exceed 30 percent in the shipbuilding sector.

Source: Interesting Engineering