The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and robotics firm Persona AI have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore how humanoid robots can be adapted for shipyard use with American robotics firm already piloting various initiatives including with South Korea’s top yard, HD Hyundai.
The collaboration with ABS will test inspection technologies for Persona AI’s humanoid robot platform, which incorporates elements of NASA’s robotic hand technology.
Unlike fixed industrial robots, humanoid models are designed to operate in facilities built for people, which the companies said gives them greater mobility and flexibility in confined or ergonomically challenging shipyard spaces.
Under the agreement, ABS and Persona AI will launch a series of joint development projects to collect and evaluate robotic data during ship construction. The work is expected to inform new ABS standards covering the types and quality of data required for digital and remote surveys. The two companies said these standards could guide future robot design and establish methods for applying robotic data in certification and compliance processes.
Nic Radford, CEO and co-founder of Persona AI, said that humanoid robotics are no longer a distant concept but on a path toward certified reality.
