Samsung goes silver-collar with robots for shipyard welding amid labor shortages

Samsung Heavy Industries has successfully tested Diden Robotics’ quadrupedal welding robot at its shipyard, marking a significant milestone in automating South Korea’s labor-intensive shipbuilding industry. The trials validate the potential for widespread deployment of walking robots that can navigate complex ship structures using magnetic feet and autonomous systems, with commercial rollouts planned for 2026.

What you should know: The Diden 30 robot demonstrated its ability to perform welding tasks on actual ship blocks under construction, proving its readiness for real industrial applications.

• The quadrupedal robot uses magnetic feet to traverse steel walls and ceilings, successfully crossing shipyard structures like longitudinal stiffeners during testing.
• Diden Robotics, founded in 2024 by alumni from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), is collaborating with major shipbuilders including HD Hyundai Samho, Hanwha Ocean, and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering to customize the system for different yard environments.

The big picture: This breakthrough represents the first practical deployment of walking robots in shipbuilding, an industry facing severe labor shortages and seeking automation solutions for dangerous, repetitive tasks.

• The robots will handle welding, inspection, and painting operations starting in 2026, addressing critical workforce gaps in South Korea’s shipbuilding sector.
• Beyond the current quadruped, Diden is developing a bipedal robot called Diden Walker, targeted for prototype completion in late 2025 for confined shipyard spaces.

How it works: Both robots are trained using Diden’s proprietary “Physical AI” platform called Diden World, which applies reinforcement learning in virtual simulations before deploying skills in real-world environments.

• The system allows robots to master complex navigation and manipulation tasks in digital environments before attempting them on actual ship structures.
• This approach reduces training time and minimizes risks during the learning process for dangerous industrial tasks.

In plain English: Think of it like a flight simulator for robots—they practice welding and navigating ship structures in a virtual world until they master the skills, then apply what they learned in real shipyards.

What they’re saying: “Our successful tests at the Samsung Heavy Industries site proved the practicality and stability of our technology,” said Joon-Ha Kim, CEO of Diden Robotics.

• “We will establish ourselves as a leading company in solving labor shortages and driving automation in the shipbuilding industry.”
• KAIST president Kwang Hyung Lee emphasized how the startups demonstrate “how academic research can be rapidly translated into industrial innovation, with shipbuilding now among the first sectors to benefit.”

Who else is involved: Diden’s progress is part of a broader wave of KAIST robotics spinoffs moving into commercialization.

• Sister startup Eurobotics recently gained attention with a humanoid robot walking unassisted through Seoul’s crowded Gangnam district, showcasing advanced navigation capabilities without external sensors.
• The success highlights KAIST’s Hu-bo Lab as a key source of commercial robotics innovation in South Korea.