2025. 1. 20. 16:51ㆍKorean Economy
Neuromeka, a robotics automation specialist, announced on the 20th that it has been selected alongside global shipbuilder HD Hyundai Samho for a national research project led by Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. The project focuses on developing an AI-driven autonomous manufacturing system for the production of curved blocks in shipbuilding, a highly complex and critical process.
HD Hyundai Samho began adopting Neuromeka's welding robot solutions last year. With this joint research project, the two companies will collaborate as partners for the next three years, further solidifying their partnership and driving innovation and competitiveness in the shipbuilding industry.
Curved blocks, used in key sections of ships such as the bow and stern, are composed of curved plates and are considered one of the most challenging areas in shipbuilding due to the complexity of their welding process. This task, critical to ship quality, has yet to be automated using robots. The national project aims to address these challenges and enhance the industry’s global competitiveness.
Neuromeka will serve as a co-research institution, while HD Hyundai Samho will lead as the primary research organization. The project’s main objectives include developing:
- A five-axis lightweight collaborative welding robot for ship assembly,
- A quadrupedal autonomous mobile robot,
- A standardized Android-based integrated remote control teach pendant, and
- An AI process optimization system.
The AI process optimization system will leverage vision-based AI technology to determine optimal ship assembly conditions, detect defects, and predict welding quality. The research and development phase will run until December 2027.
Neuromeka plans to release a state-of-the-art lightweight collaborative robot model weighing less than 10 kilograms, tailored for welding applications with enhanced portability. The model was developed in response to HD Hyundai Samho’s request for a lighter robot, reducing the payload weight by approximately 2 kilograms compared to existing models. Neuromeka aims to expand its market presence in the domestic and international collaborative welding robot markets through this initiative.
HD Hyundai Samho expects the introduction of rail-less lightweight collaborative robots powered by AI vision technology to enhance productivity, improve safety, and address labor shortages, such as the declining number of skilled welders. The company also plans to utilize a digital twin system for integrated control and management, further boosting competitiveness in shipbuilding while fostering local talent and stimulating the economy.
Neuromeka has already outperformed global leader Universal Robots (UR) of Denmark and domestic competitor Rainbow Robotics in sales for collaborative robots supplied to HD Hyundai Samho’s shipyard in Yeongam, South Korea. The company also achieved the highest market share in Korea's collaborative robot market last year.
HD Hyundai Samho has set a domestic sales target of over 2.8 trillion KRW (~$2.2 billion) by 2030 following the completion of this project. Neuromeka anticipates generating sales of around 300 billion KRW (~$230 million) in the domestic and international ship welding markets by 2027.