KR Holds Shipbuilding and Marine Robotics Technology Seminar... "Applying Robotic Technologies at Shipyards and on Vessels"

[Financial News] Korean Register (KR) said on the 10th that it held the 2026 Shipbuilding and Marine Robotics Technology Seminar in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, on the 9th. About 80 maritime industry officials, including representatives from shipping companies, shipbuilders, and equipment manufacturers, attended the event.
The seminar was organized to discuss ways to apply autonomous driving and robotics technologies, which have recently emerged in the automotive and robotics industries, to the shipbuilding and marine sectors. Shipyards and vessel interiors are considered promising areas for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), as they involve long work routes and numerous hazardous tasks, including work at heights and in confined spaces. AMRs are expected to significantly improve safety and productivity in these environments.
The event was divided into two sessions. In the first session, titled “Trends in Shipbuilding and Marine Robotics (AMR) Technology and Industrial Applications,” Kim Jun-beom, head of KR’s Advanced Technology Convergence Team, presented trends in shipbuilding and marine robotics and the need for their adoption. Lee Dong-hyeok, a professional at Samsung Heavy Industries, then discussed autonomous mobile technology for automating logistics at shipyards, while Professor Park Hae-won of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) introduced the latest research achievements in humanoid and quadrupedal robot technologies.
The second session, titled “Future Robotics Technology and Autonomous Driving,” featured presentations on humanoid robot technology and its role in shipbuilding, trends and prospects for robot foundation models, AMR autonomous driving technology in shipyard environments, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia’s small mobility platform MobED and its potential applications in the shipbuilding and marine sectors, and AMR autonomous driving and integrated control software technology.
After the presentations, participants discussed safety requirements, certification and inspection systems, and data integration methods for the actual deployment of robots at shipyards and on vessels during a question-and-answer session and networking event.
KR has continued efforts to establish safety and performance standards for robotics technology in the maritime sector. In July, it conducted the world’s first shipboard demonstration of the mobile robot platform MobED jointly with Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, HMM, HMM Ocean Service, and Goseong Engineering.
KR Vice President Kim Dae-heon said, “Robot technology will become an important means of improving safety and productivity at shipbuilding and marine worksites.” He added, “KR will proactively establish safety and performance standards and inspection systems for robots, and support the maritime industry’s safe adoption of robotics through demonstrations and technology verification.”
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