Seoul — 24 October 2025. Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) said it has signed a business agreement with Rainbow Robotics to develop and commercialize shipbuilding robots. The initial task is to create a collaborative welding robot with AI features, the companies said.
Under the agreement, SHI will provide welding-robot operation data and a test environment at its yards, while Rainbow Robotics will handle robot hardware development and technical support. The partners said they will reduce robot weight to improve on-site usability and pursue mobility inside blocks and on inclines to enable welding on curved blocks.
SHI stated it is developing and operating about 90 types of automated equipment and robots for block welding, painting, LNG carrier cargo-hold welding, and pipe inspection. The company also said it has introduced an unmanned system at its steel-cutting plant and began 24-hour operations from September 2025.
Based on accumulated data, SHI plans to apply AI to welding on curved blocks and consider expanding cooperation to mobile dual-arm and quadruped platforms. According to SHI, the collaboration is expected to support reliability verification, wider practical use of the platform, training of automation specialists, protection of industrial IP, and progress toward a smart shipyard.
