HD Hyundai wird humanoide Schweißroboter auf Werften testen

From the article

The Seoul-based conglomerate said that the project aims to test robots capable of performing high-level tasks such as welding by replicating the expertise and working patterns of highly skilled personnel.

„Humanoids tailored for shipyards will serve as a key foundation for future smart facilities by enhancing worker safety while improving production efficiency,“ HD Hyundai said in a statement.

„We plan to lead a new paradigm in the shipbuilding industry by introducing humanoids into ship construction sites.“

The group did not disclose a timeline for deploying the robots in actual operations. Such a move is expected to face strong opposition from labor unions.

I think we would be better served by not being so focussed on humanoid robots, to be honest. A wheeled, multilegged or tracked robot with a humanoid torso and arms, for example, is likely a more competent solution to most tasks and removing the whole fine motor control requirements of balance and gait means that there’s a more efficient workflow in designing a robot that can mimic human activities.

We seem to be obsessed with the idea of building robots that are human mimics, when it’s a field where surely the whole point is use cases where a human isn’t the optimal solution.