ABS and Persona AI to develop humanoid robots for shipyards
Welding robots photographed at HD Hyundai Samho this year (Source: HD Hyundai Samho)
ABS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with US-based robotics company Persona AI to adapt humanoid robots for shipyard use. The collaboration will focus on developing inspection technologies that can improve safety and productivity in environments designed for human workers.
Unlike industrial robots, humanoid machines can navigate confined or awkward spaces more easily. Persona AI’s design incorporates hand technology originally developed by NASA. Under the MoU, ABS and Persona AI will carry out joint projects to collect data that could support ship classification during construction.
The partnership will also contribute to the creation of new ABS standards covering the quality and type of data needed for digital and remote survey techniques. According to ABS, this work will guide future robot design as well as the use of robotic data for certification and compliance.
“ABS is proud to lead the way in advancing the safe integration of emerging technologies into the maritime industry,” said John McDonald, ABS president and COO. Nic Radford, CEO of Persona AI, added that humanoid robotics “are no longer a distant concept but on a path toward certified reality”.
