On July 2, HD Hyundai Samho announced the signing of a “Shipbuilding In-Shop Quadrupedal Humanoid Robot Development and Demonstration Agreement” with HD Hyundai Robotics, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai Group, and German humanoid robotics company NEURA Robotics. The three parties will collaborate to develop welding robots customized for the shipbuilding industry.
HD Hyundai Samho will leverage its extensive experience in operating automation equipment, including collaborative robots, to provide a demonstration environment for the development of quadrupedal humanoid welding robots and validate their potential for on-site application.
HD Hyundai Robotics will contribute path-learning data based on years of accumulated welding automation expertise and provide technical support to verify the performance of the quadrupedal humanoid welding robots.
NEURA Robotics will advance the technological development and commercialization of humanoid robots for the shipbuilding industry, drawing on its experience in developing products such as the household humanoid robot “4NE-1.”
David Reger, founder and CEO of NEURA Robotics, stated, “This agreement will serve as a significant milestone in demonstrating the limitless potential and scalability of cognitive robots in the shipbuilding industry, one of the world’s most demanding environments.”
Yoo Sang-ho, Executive Director of HD Hyundai Samho, said, “By developing welding automation humanoid robots that meet the diverse quality requirements of shipbuilding sites, we will strive to enhance production efficiency while ensuring safety.”
NEURA Robotics is a renowned German AI robotics company founded in 2019, specializing in expanding the skill sets of cognitive collaborative robots. It was one of the first companies to venture into humanoid robotics and launch bipedal humanoid products. Previously invested in by China’s Han’s Robot and operating as a European subsidiary, it has since become independent. The company has successfully introduced the MAV mobile robot and four innovative products: LARA, MAiRA, and MiPA.
In September 2022, NEURA Robotics initiated the “4NE-1” humanoid robot project, aiming to create a versatile assistant for both household and industrial scenarios. The company first unveiled the concept and specifications publicly at that time. The “4NE-1” is designed as a general-purpose humanoid robot, inspired by cognitive neuroscience and powered by AI. Standing approximately 180 cm tall and weighing 80 kg, it can carry up to 15 kg and move at 3 km/h. Its head functions as an interactive screen for human interaction, enabling a variety of human-robot tasks.
At the AUTOMATE 2024 conference in the U.S. in May 2024, NEURA Robotics showcased the “4NE-1” prototype for the first time. Subsequent training with NVIDIA models significantly enhanced its performance. Recent demonstration videos highlight the “4NE-1” excelling in household chores (e.g., ironing, cutting fruits and vegetables, plating food, organizing items) and industrial tasks (e.g., sheet metal welding, tool handling). It also demonstrated collaborative capabilities with other robots, particularly in dexterous hand movements.
NEURA Robotics believes the advanced technology behind “4NE-1” is key to addressing modern and future societal challenges—handling dull, dangerous, tedious, and repetitive tasks. It represents the ultimate assistant robot, capable of supporting and executing any type of task.
Notably, to tackle labor shortages and workforce crises in shipyards, HD Hyundai Group has been accelerating the adoption of various robots, especially humanoids, in recent years. On May 8, HD Hyundai subsidiaries HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Robotics signed an MOU with American humanoid specialist Persona AI and Korean robotics firm Vazil to develop welding humanoid robots for shipbuilding, leveraging AI and robotics to improve productivity and worker safety. On May 12, HD Hyundai Mipo, HD Hyundai Robotics, humanoid manufacturer A Robot, and Hanyang University signed a four-party agreement for “Industrial Humanoid Robot Demonstration Technology Development,” advancing the technical development and application validation of humanoids in shipbuilding to expedite their deployment.
