Yaskawa Electric and Toyota’s GAZOO Racing have introduced autonomous robotic welding into GR Kart frame production at the Gamagori workshop in Aichi, Japan. The system entered operation in September 2026 and uses Yaskawa’s GPU-equipped MOTOMAN NEXT to assess frame conditions, perform welds, inspect the finished joints and make corrections.
The robots evaluate pipe assembly, gaps between sections and welding results. AI analyses inspection imagery, welding sound and other process data, linking those observations to decisions about the robot’s next action. The system brings quality assessment and corrective work into the same automated process as welding, extending work that previously depended on experienced welders’ judgement.
The project builds on the partners’ Sequence Freezing Arc Welding process, developed in 2024 for motorsport roll cages. GAZOO Racing says SFA reduced roll-cage fabrication from two or three weeks to three days, while improving strength and reducing weight. That process has since been adopted for vehicles competing in Japan’s Super Taikyu Series.
GR Kart production applies the partners’ welding knowledge to a commercial entry-level racing kart launched in Japan in September. GAZOO Racing says the new robotic process has helped reduce kart costs. Yaskawa, which introduced MOTOMAN NEXT in 2023, plans to apply the recognition, decision-making and correction technology to additional manufacturing processes.
