South Korean start-up Diden Robotics has unveiled the four-legged Diden Spider, a robot designed to perform welding operations at shipyards. The company has already entered into contracts with two South Korean shipbuilders and one European client, El.kz reports.
The robot weighs 45 kg and can carry a payload of up to 30 kg. Equipped with magnetic feet, it can move not only across horizontal surfaces but also along steel walls and ceilings. The Diden Spider is also capable of navigating steel beams and accessing narrow service openings. At present, the robot can perform welding operations and inspect the quality of welded joints. In the future, the developers plan to equip it with the capability to paint ship hulls.
Diden Robotics was established in March 2024 by four graduates of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). In 2026, the company was included in the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list and showcased its technologies at NVIDIA GTC and Computex. In addition, Amazon invited Diden Robotics as the only South Korean start-up to participate in the MARS 2026 conference on robotics and artificial intelligence.
The deployment of robotics is therefore gradually extending to industries where operations involve heavy structures, confined spaces, and challenging working conditions.
