Humanoid robots are coming for shipbuilding

ABS and Persona AI have signed an agreement to collaborate on deploying robotics in shipyards.

Persona AI is developing humanoid robots that it claims could assist workers in a range of shipyard tasks to provide greater mobility in complex, confined or ergonomically challenging spaces.

ABS, in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the robotics firm, says it intends to support this initiative by developing new class standards and protocols to enable humanoid robots to perform these complex tasks.

Under the MoU, Persona AI and ABS say they will co-operate on a series of joint development projects, collecting data to support classification during ship construction. The MoU will support development of new ABS standards for the types and quality of data required to support digital and remote survey techniques.

The class standards that will be developed should guide future robot design and help the firms determine how best to collect, evaluate and apply robotic data for certification and compliance purposes.

“This collaboration with Persona AI reflects our commitment to innovation and safety, as we work to establish the standards and protocols that will enable humanoid robots to perform complex tasks reliably and securely in shipyard environments,” said ABS president and chief operating officer John McDonald,.

“By combining cutting-edge robotics with ABS’s deep expertise in certification and safety, we are helping shape a smarter, safer future for shipbuilding.”

ABS said it expects the co-operation will use the class society’s previous investment in artificial intelligence (AI) for evaluation of data and its quality as well as use of digital 3D modelling.