Korean Partners to Develop Robotic “Total Hull Care Solution” Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. June 17, 2026 Credit: HD Hyundai HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and five other HD Hyundai affiliates are embarking on the development of a robot and data-based integrated hull management solution that automates the entire process—from hull diagnosis to cleaning and performance verification—for the first time in the shipbuilding industry. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint development and commercialization of the "Total Hull Care Solution" with affiliates HD Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, HD Hyundai Robotics, HD Hyundai Marine Solution, and Avicus, as well as with KCC, a specialist in marine paints, and TAS Global, a specialist in underwater robots. The "Total Hull Care Solution" is an integrated management system capable of performing everything from hull condition diagnosis to cleaning, paint damage inspection, and effectiveness verification in a single operation. Its key feature is the ability to manage the operational status of the hull in real time. The companies say that with the hull biofouling emerging as a critical factor determining fuel efficiency and environmental regulations in the shipping market, the need for a data-based continuous monitoring and predictive management system is growing, as existing manual and periodic hull cleaning methods make it difficult to assess the condition in real time. The participating companies plan to jointly develop: • hull condition diagnosis technology based on autonomous underwater robots; • robot cleaning standards and standard specifications for antifouling paints to optimize coating damage; • fuel efficiency optimization technology linked to hull condition monitoring and operational data; and • an automated system for verifying cleaning effectiveness and maintenance. In particular, HD Hyundai will lead the development of underwater robots that automate the entire