POSCO and Persona AI plan humanoid trials for steel-coil logistics
The February proof of concept will test robots attaching crane belts to heavy steel coils, building on POSCO’s earlier investment in Persona AI.
POSCO Group and Persona AI agreed to test humanoids in steel-coil logistics, with trials planned to begin in February 2026. The MoU, signed on 3 February and announced two days later, involves POSCO, POSCO DX and POSCO Investment. Robots would work with employees to attach crane belts to coils weighing 20–40 tonnes; cranes perform the lifting.
POSCO will choose candidate steelworks sites and assess feasibility, while POSCO DX will design the automation system and jointly develop a steelworks-specific robot model. Persona AI will supply and adapt its humanoid platform, with POSCO Investment supporting the proof of concept. POSCO said it invested US$3 million in Persona during 2025 and had already been examining humanoids for terminal logistics and material preparation. Expansion to further sites will depend on demonstrating mechanical safety and effective collaboration with workers.
Persona had previously joined HD Hyundai’s humanoid welding programme in May 2025 with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Robotics and Vazil. That project assigns humanoid hardware and learning systems to Persona, shipbuilding-process data and integration to Hyundai, and welding tools to Vazil, with a prototype targeted for the end of 2026 and field trials and commercialisation planned for 2027. The POSCO trial adds crane-sling manipulation in steelworks to that earlier work on shipyard welding, placing the platform in another industrial process where tooling and existing plant equipment determine the robot’s task.