en.Wedoany.com Reported - South Korean artificial intelligence company NC AI has won a project from Hanwha Ocean to develop an AI-based autonomous welding system for the construction of commercial and special-purpose vessels.
The development includes a vision-recognition-based welding model and a collaborative robot-based autonomous welding model. The system is designed to enable robots to autonomously identify and assess welding areas and perform real-time welding operations, rather than merely following preset paths.
NC AI and Hanwha Ocean are testing the system under conditions that often hinder visual recognition, such as intense arc light, sparks, welding fumes, outdoor operations, and camera lens contamination. The two companies have used data from actual production sites and feedback from field engineers.
The final model and robotic system are expected to be applied to next-generation commercial vessels and special-purpose ships built by Hanwha Ocean, with target applications including LNG carriers and submarines.
NC AI plans to use its industrial vision-language model, VAETKI Vision, as the core engine for the project. This model processes visual information alongside text instructions, supporting industrial physical AI applications without relying entirely on fixed programming.
The project extends NC AI's physical AI work into the shipbuilding sector, following previous collaborations with Hyundai Rotem and Posco DX. For Hanwha Ocean, this is part of a broader automation initiative at its Geoje shipyard, where the company has already deployed 17kg mobile welding robots and increased indoor welding automation rates to 67%. Hanwha Ocean aims to achieve fully unmanned welding processes by 2030.
NC AI is an artificial intelligence company spun off from NCSOFT's AI research division. In October 2024, NCSOFT announced that it would establish NC AI through a corporate split, focusing on proprietary AI technologies and commercial applications beyond gaming.
Hanwha Ocean Co. is a South Korean shipbuilding company under the Hanwha Group. Before Hanwha completed its acquisition and adopted the Hanwha Ocean name in 2023, it was formerly known as Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Its business encompasses commercial vessel construction, offshore facilities, and naval shipbuilding. Hyundai Rotem is a South Korean manufacturer involved in railway systems, defense systems, and plant equipment. Posco DX is a South Korean digital engineering and IT services company under the Posco Group, specializing in industrial automation, smart factory systems, and digital transformation projects.
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