Persona AI is preparing to place humanoid robots on the factory floors of South Korea’s shipbuilding and steel sectors, aiming to move the technology from showcase to everyday use.
Korea’s Heavy-Industry Deployment
Michael Perry, who leads commercial strategy at Persona AI, told The Korea Herald that the country’s shipyards and steel mills present a “high need and high skill” environment for robot deployment.
He said Korea’s acute labor shortages combined with advanced digital and AI capabilities make it a prime candidate for early adoption of humanoid systems.
The firm has teamed with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Robotics to field a bipedal prototype later this year.
The trial will assess whether the robot can move through a cluttered shipyard, operate a standard welding torch and produce welds that meet production standards.
Results from this pilot are expected to inform decisions about scaling the technology across additional facilities, and the team plans to document performance metrics throughout the test period.
Partnerships and Funding
Posco has taken a $3 million equity stake in the startup, supporting a proof-of-concept that explores collaborative handling of 20- to 40-ton steel coils.
The project tests whether multiple robots can work together using specialized rigging tools to move heavy coils across designated zones.
The company also expressed interest in Hyundai Steel, which recently broke ground on an electric-arc mill in Louisiana, and is already testing robots with a local steel fabricator there.
Battery research is underway, with the organization evaluating high-nickel and lithium-iron-phosphate chemistries to balance endurance, power density and safety.
Talks are ongoing with Korean battery manufacturers LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On, according to Perry.
These discussions aim to secure a supply chain that can support long-duration field operations without frequent recharging.
Technical Challenges and Comparisons
Hyundai Motor Group’s Atlas robot, built by Boston Trends for automotive assembly, focuses on repetitive “pick-and-place” tasks.
Perry noted that Atlas’s mobility is impressive but its design may not suit the delicate handling required for welding equipment, risking accidental activation or damage.
The startup’s Gen 1 humanoid features high-torque, precision-controlled motors that enable fine-motor grasping without harming tools.
The platform is modular, with swappable sensor payloads, allowing it to shift from shipyard welding to offshore rig maintenance.
For field testing in 2027, Perry said the goal is to enable the bipedal robot to walk autonomously while integrating human teleoperation, allowing workers to give simple commands that improve safety on hazardous tasks.
