ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Fincantieri, a global leader in shipbuilding with high complexity, and Generative Bionics, an Italian company engaged in the development of autonomous humanoid robots, announce the start of an industrial partnership aimed at the implementation of a humanoid welding robot destined to operate in the shipyards of the Group along with humans. The collaboration is developed through a joint work between Fincantieri’s industrial skills and the robotic platform created by Generative Bionics, with the aim of increasing safety and operational efficiency, the quality of the work and the sustainability of the work in the yard.
The project provides, as the first framework of collaboration, the development of a humanoid designed to support specific naval welding activities. The humanoid will be equipped with artificial intelligence and advanced capabilities of manipulation, perception and vision dedicated to the monitoring of the welding cord, as well as an optimized locomotion to operate in complex contexts. Particular attention will be paid to safety, so that the system can operate in direct collaboration with the workers, in full compliance with the regulations in force and without restrictions of the working areas.
The collaborative programme will have a total duration of four years, with a rapid introduction of solutions in the operational field. The first tests on site are planned by the end of 2026, with the aim of making operational functionalities available during the first two years, then continuing with aging, extension and industrial certification during the next period. The development and experimentation activities will be conducted at the Fincantieri yard of Sestri Ponente, which will act as a reference context for the validation and industrial certification of technology. The collaboration is part of Fincantieri’s strategy in advanced robotics, physical AI and innovation, among the pillars of the new Industrial Plan of the Group.
“In a context characterized by increasing production complexity and a progressive shortage of skilled labor – we read in a note – the adoption of solutions based on Physical AI systems allows to support production continuity and to support workers in the most repetitive, heavy or ergonomically unfavorable activities, maintaining high standards of quality and safety. For Generative Bionics, the project is one of the first structured paths of industrial validation of its platform in a highly complex production context.” “The partnership between Fincantieri and Generative Bionics takes on a strategic value even within the framework of European technological sovereignty, enhancing skills of excellence developed within the chain of research and advanced industry. The project is complemented by the other validation paths of robotics already in progress in the Fincantieri Group, expanding the perimeter of the processing that can be carried out with advanced solutions”, continues the note.
“Advanced robotics and artificial intelligence applied to industrial processes are a strategic lever for the development of shipbuilding and the competitiveness of the European industrial system – commented Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri -. The collaboration with Generative Bionics is part of the transformation path we are carrying out to strengthen our operational excellence, enhance the work of our people and address in a structured way the challenges related to the increasing production complexity and the availability of specialized skills. In this context, the Sestri Ponente construction site plays a central role as an industrial laboratory in which technology, safety and expertise evolve together, allowing us to integrate advanced robotics solutions to support the most demanding and repetitive activities, maintaining high quality standards, sustainability and job protection.”.
“The collaboration with Fincantieri is part of our industrialization path towards the market. The shipyards represent a strategic asset of global manufacturing and for this reason we chose Fincantieri to demonstrate how our solutions of Physical AI can translate into reliable, safe and really useful systems – said Daniele Pucci, CEO and Co-Founder of Generative Bionics -. This project allows us to develop humanoid robots designed around human work, capable of working side by side with people, helping to make activities with high intensity and specialization sustainable over time.”.
– Fincantieri press office photos –
(ITALPRESS).
