RivetBenchmarks
What “normal” looks like for each type of yard robot, so a new robot can be judged as Standard, Better or Breakthrough. Numbers come only from public sources; “unknown yet” means no credible figure exists. CSV · All prices
Confidence: verified source page checked · medium partly checked / snippet · low weak or third-party. First ever = independently confirmed first; Claimed first = vendor/yard claim only.
Welding
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| productivity vs manual welder (x manual) | ~3x (robot 5 min vs human 15 min per 1.2 m joint; mobile robot 3x) | >3x sustained in production | [src] [src] |
| weld length per shift (mobile robot) (m/shift) | up to 170 m/shift | >170 m/shift per robot | [src] |
| portable robot weight (kg) | 11-17 kg (one person can carry) | <11 kg with full capability | [src] [src] |
| programming/setup (qualitative) | teach pendant or offline programming; leaders auto-generate from 3D CAD (no teaching) | auto-path from CAD or vision with zero teaching | [src] |
| seam/part vision accuracy (mm) | ~0.1-1.5 mm reported | <=0.1 mm in production | [src] [src] |
| deployment scale (robots per yard) | tens of units; HD Hyundai ~200 robots (50 industrial + 150 cobots) | >200 units or fully automated process line | [src] |
| deposition rate (kg/h) | unknown yet | unknown yet |
Workhorses to beat
| Robot | Why | Evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| IK-12 (Max3 / NEXT) rail-guided cutting & welding carriage Koike Aronson | In production since 1937, now in its 6th generation; described as a standard shipbuilding tool | Introduced 1937; sixth generation; vendor calls it 'one of the most popular and best-selling cutting carriages'; MSRP US$3,465 (no units-sold figure found) | medium [src] [src] |
| Wel-Handy Multi NEXT trackless fillet carriage Koike | Vendor bills it as 'the premier choice for shipyards'; 8.8 kg, 50-1500 mm/min | Vendor positioning only; no install base found | verified [src] |
| LT-7 submerged-arc tractor Lincoln Electric | Long-standing SAW tractor for ship/barge building and long heavy weldments | Vendor spec only; no units-sold figure found | verified [src] |
| KAT / KAT 300 carriage Gullco | Track carriage used in shipbuilding; KAT 300 redesigned in 2017 to meet shipyard weight/safety rules | No install base found | verified [src] |
| ARC Mate series (arc welding arms) FANUC | Largest robot maker by cumulative shipments; ARC Mate is its dedicated arc-welding line | 1,000,000 cumulative robots shipped (Aug 2023), all models; 500,000 in 2017 | verified [src] |
| HD Hyundai shipyard robot fleet (industrial + collaborative welding/cutting) HD Hyundai (HHI + Samho) | Largest disclosed shipyard robot fleet; mostly steel-plate cutting and welding | 211 robots as of Feb 2026 (HHI 131, Samho 80), up 63.6% from 129 a year earlier | verified [src] |
| Collaborative welding robots (Geoje) Hanwha Ocean | Second-largest disclosed Korean yard cobot fleet | ~80 collaborative robots at Geoje | verified [src] |
| Yard automation (welding/painting/LNG-tank/inspection robots) Samsung Heavy Industries | Broadest range of robot types; no unit count disclosed | ~90 automation types; Geoje yard reports 68% production automation rate | medium [src] |
Price
Floor: US$69,900 (Hirebotics CW102 (UR10e) used 2022, Revelation Machinery (used), list) verified. List-price range: US$69,900 to US$105,000 (4 list price(s); 3 deal/estimate/RaaS figure(s) on the prices page). Details →
Painting blasting
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| UHP hydroblasting production rate (m2/h) | 30-55 m2/h | >65 m2/h | [src] [src] |
| max water pressure (bar) | 3000 bar | >3000 bar | [src] |
| ingress protection (IP) | IP55 | IP65+ | [src] |
| battery runtime (h) | ~4 h | >6 h | [src] |
| hull coverage (% of hull) | ~98% (vendor claim) | ~100% incl. bow/stern with no manual touch-up | [src] |
| painting/coating robot rate (m2/h) | unknown yet | unknown yet |
Price
Floor: US$140,000 (Cobot Painter (FANUC CRX-10iA/L Paint), Hirebotics, list) verified. List-price range: US$140,000 to US$140,000 (1 list price(s); 1 deal/estimate/RaaS figure(s) on the prices page). Details →
Hull cleaning
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| in-water cleaning rate (m2/h) | ~500 m2/h | >1000 m2/h verified in operation | [src] [src] |
| debris capture (qualitative) | filtered capture of fouling for onshore disposal | class/port-approved capture + approval in multiple ports | [src] |
| diver-free operation (yes/no) | ROV diver-free is the standard | fully autonomous (no pilot) | [src] |
Workhorses to beat
| Robot | Why | Evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| HullWiper ROV (water-jet) HullWiper / GAC | Longest-running commercial hull-cleaning ROV service (since Dec 2013) | 2,500+ hull cleans worldwide since 2013; 500 m²/h nominal | verified [src] |
| Hullbot autonomous cleaner Hullbot | Fast-growing proactive-cleaning fleet service | 82+ vessels cleaned (US/EU/APAC) | medium [src] |
| HullSkater onboard cleaner Jotun / Kongsberg | Coating maker's onboard robot | Serving 30 vessels (May 2025) | verified [src] |
Price
Floor: US$2,800 (Keelcrab One (yacht hull robot), Keelcrab, list) verified. List-price range: US$2,800 to US$2,800 (1 list price(s); 2 deal/estimate/RaaS figure(s) on the prices page). Details →
Quadruped
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| payload (kg) | 14 kg (Spot) | >=40 kg walking | [src] [src] |
| runtime (min) | 60-120 min | >4 h | [src] [src] [src] |
| ingress protection (IP) | IP54 | IP67 | [src] |
| hazardous-area certification (qualitative) | none | ATEX/IECEx Zone 1 | [src] |
| max speed (m/s) | 1.0-1.6 m/s | >3 m/s | [src] |
| autonomous charging/docking (yes/no) | available (Spot Dock) | fleet-scale unattended operation | [src] |
Workhorses to beat
| Robot | Why | Evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spot Boston Dynamics | Reference industrial quadruped; POSCO uses it on its largest blast furnace | 1,500+ robots in customer hands (product page); 46+ countries; ~2,000 'in operation' per Boston Globe Nov 2025 (may include Stretch) | verified [src] [src] |
Price
Floor: US$2,800 (Go2 Pro, Unitree, list) verified. List-price range: US$2,800 to US$100,000 (5 list price(s); 2 deal/estimate/RaaS figure(s) on the prices page). Details →
Drones
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| flight time (min) | ~45-55 min | >60 min | [src] |
| ingress protection (IP) | IP55 aircraft / IP56 dock | IP56+ aircraft | [src] |
| dock turnaround (min) | ~27 min to charge 15-95% | <15 min or battery swap | [src] |
| autonomy level (qualitative) | dock-based scheduled flights | BVLOS remote ops approved by regulator | [src] |
Workhorses to beat
| Robot | Why | Evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matrice 30T / Matrice 400 + Dock DJI Enterprise | Default industrial inspection drone platform | ~70% of global commercial drone market (2024 est., all DJI) | medium [src] |
Price
Floor: US$21,999 (Dock 3 + Matrice 4TD bundle, DJI (Drone Works dealer), list) verified. List-price range: US$21,999 to US$27,157 (2 list price(s); 0 deal/estimate/RaaS figure(s) on the prices page). Details →
Inspection ndt
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT crawler coverage rate (ft2/h) | unknown yet | unknown yet | |
| class recognition (qualitative) | trial / pilot | class-approved (ABS/DNV/LR/KR/BV) survey method |
Workhorses to beat
| Robot | Why | Evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall-climbing UT crawlers Gecko Robotics | Leading industrial inspection-crawler fleet (boilers, tanks, ships; US Navy) | ~150 robots in field (2024) to ~250 (2026); 100+ customers (2022); 500,000+ assets modelled | medium [src] [src] |
Price
No public list price yet; only deal, estimate or subscription figures. Details →
Cutting
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| plasma cut speed (20 mm mild steel) (mm/min) | unknown yet | unknown yet |
Workhorses to beat
| Robot | Why | Evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNC beam drill/saw lines (BDL etc.) Peddinghaus | Self-described largest steel fabrication machinery supplier | 9,000+ machines in 89+ countries (all machine types) | verified [src] |
| Ocean Avenger CNC beam drill line (built by Peddinghaus) Ocean Machinery | Entry beam line for small/mid fabricators | 600+ Avengers installed since 2003 in 70+ countries; 1,000+ beam/angle lines total | verified [src] |
| Automated structural lines with material handling FICEP | Installed the first integrated automated-handling beam line in 1988 | 'Hundreds of installations worldwide' (no exact count) | low [src] |
| Beam lines Voortman | Widely used in UK/EU fabrication | Only a customer anecdote (Leach Structural owns 10 Voortman machines); no install base | verified [src] |
| Powermax air plasma family Hypertherm | Described as the dominant plasma brand | 'Millions' of Powermax systems in use; sales in 93 countries; 100,000th Powermax45 milestone (no verified share %) | verified [src] [src] |
Price
Floor: US$100,000 (Cobot Cutter (plasma), Hirebotics, list) verified. List-price range: US$100,000 to US$100,000 (1 list price(s); 0 deal/estimate/RaaS figure(s) on the prices page). Details →
Material handling
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| transporter payload (t) | unknown yet | unknown yet | |
| autonomy (qualitative) | operator remote/joystick | driverless autonomous in live yard traffic |
Price
No public list price yet; only deal, estimate or subscription figures. Details →
Humanoid
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| status (qualitative) | prototype / R&D | paid production work in a yard |
Price
Floor: US$4,900 (R1 Air, Unitree, list) verified. List-price range: US$4,900 to US$13,500 (3 list price(s); 0 deal/estimate/RaaS figure(s) on the prices page). Details →
Ai vision planning
Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Notable if | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| measured outcome (qualitative) | pilot / data collection | published % gain in throughput or quality | [src] |
No public price yet.