Kawasaki Heavy Industries has started a collaboration with NVIDIA Corporation to build a next-generation digital shipyard, leveraging physical artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twin technology to advance commercial shipbuilding.
The partners aim to construct a seamless production system combining Kawasaki’s data and robotics capabilities with NVIDIA’s expertise in AI and digital twins. This system will connect every stage of commercial vessel construction, from initial design to final assembly, at the Sakaide Works in Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture.
Kawasaki has already been working to improve shipyard efficiency through digital initiatives and the development of AI-driven robots, with this latest move part of a government-supported R&D project. The new partnership will utilise NVIDIA’s physical AI stack to integrate autonomous systems, robotics, and simulation technology.
The ultimate goal is to establish a stable system for vessel supply and eventually apply physical AI across the entire lifecycle of a vessel, including operations, maintenance, and servicing.
“Our collaboration with NVIDIA marks an important step in advancing the use of AI in shipbuilding to a new stage,” said Yasuhiko Hashimoto, President, Representative Director and CEO of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
“By combining the shipbuilding technology, we have cultivated over many years with NVIDIA’s advanced AI and simulation technology, we will achieve more sophisticated design, production optimization, and skills transfer, while taking on the challenge of creating new value to support the shipbuilding industry of the future.”
Key focus areas include optimisation of shipyard processes based on Bill of Materials (BOM) and Bill of Process (BOP) data, creation of a framework to quickly deploy Kawasaki-developed robots for tasks such as welding, painting, inspection, and material handling, and connecting construction data to post-delivery services, allowing information from operation, maintenance, and refit work to feed back into future services.
“Kawasaki’s initiative is an excellent example of how physical AI and industrial digital twins can transform real-world heavy industry operations. NVIDIA will continue to support this challenge as a partner through our Omniverse and Isaac platforms,” said Deepu Talla, Vice President of Robotics and Edge AI at NVIDIA Corporation.
