HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Robotics have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Persona AI and Vazil Company to jointly develop humanoid robots capable of performing complex welding tasks in shipyards.
The collaboration, announced in Houston, Texas, aims to advance human-machine collaboration in heavy industry, with prototype robots expected by 2026 and full deployment beginning in 2027. The project combines the expertise of each party: Persona AI will lead development of the humanoid hardware and AI systems, while Vazil will focus on precision welding tools and creating a testing environment.
Welding humanoids will not only boost productivity but also significantly reduce the burden on workers and greatly enhance safety. By developing robots optimized for shipyard tasks, we aim to set a new paradigm in shipbuilding automation. Our goal is a smart shipyard where humans and intelligent robots collaborate seamlessly
… said HD KSOE Senior Vice President Mr. Dong-ju Lee.
HD KSOE will manage real-world deployment and provide operational insights, and HD Hyundai Robotics will contribute AI training data and validate welding performance.
As heavy industry faces growing labor constraints—especially in high-risk trades like welding—the need for rugged, autonomous humanoid robots is more urgent than ever
… commented Persona AI CEO, Nicolaus Radford.
This initiative is positioned as a transformative step toward smart shipyards, improving safety and productivity through automation. Leaders from all four organizations emphasized the urgency of addressing labor shortages in high-risk trades and highlighted the potential of humanoid robots to redefine industrial workflows.
HD Hyundai Robotics Vice President, Young-hoon Song, explained that unlike conventional robots that focus solely on repetitive tasks, these robots must be able to observe, reason, and make decisions.
