Humanoids and the Future of Ship and Boat Building
Overview: The ship and boat building industry is poised for transformation as it leverages humanoid robots. Statistics reveal that robotics usage in the shipbuilding sector is predicted to show an annual growth rate of 4.7% from 2021 to 2024. Meanwhile, the humanoid robot market is expected to reach $12.3 billion by 2025. The convergence of these two growth trajectories means radical changes for ship and boat production, with the potential for improved efficiency, job safety, and design precision.
Robotics in the Ship and Boat Building Industry: According to analysts, the ship and boat building industry is predicted to exhibit a robotics usage annual growth rate of 4.7% from 2021 to 2024. Robots, especially those with humanoid form, have the potential to revolutionize this sector. They offer numerous advantages over manual labor, including consistent accuracy, non-stop productivity, and the ability to operate in hazardous conditions. Consequently, integrating robots into ship and boat building processes could dramatically increase efficiency and safety in the workplace.
The Rising Popularity of Humanoid Robots: The global humanoid robot market is growing exponentially, with forecasts indicating it will reach $12.3 billion by 2025. This popularity is driven by technological advances that allow humanoid robots to perform various tasks with heightened precision and human-like features. Humanoid robots, unlike their non-humanoid peers, have a structure similar to a human body, allowing them to work seamlessly alongside workers, reducing both time and cost in training and operation.
Humanoids and Precision Fabrication: In ship and boat construction, precision is paramount. Humanoid robots can significantly improve this, given their ability to make accurate and repeated movements. A study discovered that humanoid robot accuracy is around 0.05mm, which surpasses the ability of even the most skilled human workers. Therefore, humanoid robots could be instrumental in crafting ship parts that require high levels of precision.
Improving Worker Safety with Humanoids: The ship and boat manufacturing industry is fraught with job hazards. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of fatal occupational injuries in ship and boat building was 14.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2018. These hazards could be significantly curtailed with the implementation of humanoid robots. Robots can accomplish tasks in dangerous or inaccessible areas, preventing workers from being exposed to the risk of severe or fatal injuries.
Key Takeaways: - Robotics application in ship and boat building industry is anticipated to grow annually by 4.7% from 2021 to 2024. - The humanoid robot market is projected to reach $12.3 billion by 2025. - Humanoid robots can achieve fabrication precision of around 0.05mm. - The use of humanoid robots may reduce the rate of fatal occupational injuries in ship and boat building, which was 14.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2018.
3Laws Robotics is at the forefront of addressing the challenges and potentials outlined above. By developing software to enhance both safety and reliability in robotics systems, 3Laws Robotics is going above and beyond standard hard-stop methods. A significant part of their work focuses on addressing the issue of certification, a notable pain point within the robotics sector. Their software, the 3Laws Supervisor, simplifies the certification process by providing strong safety features and evidence of their system's robustness.
Built upon Control Barrier Functions (CBFs), a technology developed at Caltech, the 3Laws software guarantees mathematically-proven safety and enables enhanced operational efficiency. This innovation reduces downtime caused by unnecessary safety stops or collisions, allowing robots to fully utilize their capacities while maintaining utmost safety.
3Laws Robotics works across multiple platforms, whether mobile robots, cars, drones, or manipulators, and is compatible with prevalent robotics middleware like ROS and ROS2. With its proactive safety approach, 3Laws is a game-changer, delivering dynamic predictive safety solutions that could be safety certified for ISO 3691-4 and ISO 26262.