HII Forges Robotics Partnerships to Advance Shipbuilding

Path Robotics' latest offering is the Rove mobile robotic welding system. | Source: Path Robotics

HII, Path Robotics, and GrayMatter Robotics have launched the High-Yield Production Robotics (HYPR) program this week. The initiative aims to deploy a network of cutting-edge physical AI technologies from both robotics firms to significantly speed up the adoption of advanced, adaptive automation in fabricating both crewed and uncrewed naval vessels.

"By unifying our partnerships into a single HYPR team, we can combine our respective best-in-class capabilities to boost shipbuilding output, reinforce the maritime industrial base, and enhance our shipbuilding operations," stated Eric Chewning, HII's executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy. "This HYPR program will allow us to deploy next-generation robotics for complex, variable shipbuilding tasks that have historically resisted full automation."

Developed with support from Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Dark Sea Labs Advanced Technology Group, HYPR will integrate robotic welding, automated material handling, autonomous surface treatment, and autonomous quality inspection into a streamlined assembly line. This integrated approach is designed to dramatically improve the speed and efficiency of constructing ships and submarines.

"[Welding] is the most critical task. It's the most expensive, and it's the most unforgiving," Andy Lonsberry, CEO and co-founder of Path Robotics, explained to The Robot Report. "In general assembly, dropping a part is usually fine—you just pick it up. But with welding, a missed weld or a burn-through ruins the component entirely."

HII plans to conduct proof-of-concept demonstrations with its partners in 2026. The Newport News, Virginia-based company aims to launch the full-scale pilot program in 2027.

HII strengthens collaborations with Path Robotics and GrayMatter

Rather than deploying isolated automation tools, HYPR fuses multiple systems into one synchronized production line. The pilot program incorporates technologies from two key automation specialists:

HII initially partnered with Path Robotics in February. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to explore integrating Path's physical AI welding technology into shipbuilding processes. Earlier this month, Path also unveiled Rove, a mobile robotic welding system that combines its Obsidian physical AI with a quadruped robot.

GrayMatter Robotics entered a partnership with HII earlier this month with analogous goals to embed its physical AI into shipbuilding operations.

Collectively, these systems will address the highly specialized and interconnected stages of structural fabrication and assembly. These steps significantly impact cost, timelines, and reliance on external suppliers for major maritime projects.

"[HII] requires millions of welding hours annually," noted Lonsberry. "They face a massive, multi-billion-dollar backlog that demands an aggressive approach. The timing is critical, and they need solutions to augment their workforce effectively."

HII will contribute its shipbuilding expertise, production requirements, and certification pathways. In exchange, the partners will provide engineering investment and deliver cost-competitive materials, alongside scalable automation systems applicable across various programs.

U.S. drive for accelerated shipbuilding

From left to right: Ariyan Kabir, CEO of GrayMatter Robotics; Eric Chewning, executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy at HII; and Andy Lonsberry, CEO of Path Robotics. | Source: HII

The program aligns with a wider U.S. defense effort to expand naval capacity, modernize shipbuilding, and introduce more scalable manufacturing techniques to support the construction of the nation's future "golden fleet."

"This partnership is a move toward bolstering industrial capacity in a sector vital to national security," said Ariyan Kabir, co-founder and CEO of Carson, California-based GrayMatter Robotics. "We have already deployed our systems in demanding production environments across multiple industries. This collaboration lets us apply and scale that proven capability within shipbuilding, alongside Path and HII."

Path Robotics acknowledged that producing critical materials for integration into U.S. Navy platforms remains a primary bottleneck in ship and submarine construction. The company highlighted that complex assemblies, in particular, demand flawless coordination of numerous specialized skills and tasks to shorten production cycles.

HYPR is engineered for adaptive automation throughout the entire structural process—from cutting and fitting parts to surface preparation, welding, inspection, blasting, and coating.

"We see this urgency resonating across the entire shipbuilding sector," Lonsberry observed. "There is an unprecedented demand for production. The industry widely calls this the shipbuilding renaissance, and everyone needs to ramp up productivity."

Editor’s note: Path Robotics co-founder and CEO Andy Lonsberry will be a panelist for "Productizing AI in Robotic Systems" at next month's Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston. Register now to attend.