Does keeping a human in the loop always produce better results? Heather Carroll, Chief Revenue Officer at Path Robotics, joins Nick Chubb and Raal Harris on UnDocked to explore how physical AI is changing robotic welding and what this could mean for shipbuilding, skilled workers and the future of maritime manufacturing.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Heather's journey into robotic welding

02:53 – Robots, jobs and the shortage of welders

05:53 – How AI learns to weld through practice

09:07 – The origins of Path Robotics

16:01 – Why conventional automation struggles in shipyards

17:17 – Rove: the robot dog that can weld

19:16 – How automation could change skilled work

21:55 – The submarine welder's extraordinary working conditions

23:55 – Rebuilding American shipbuilding capacity

34:32 – HII, Path Robotics and the HYPR programme

41:58 – What tomorrow's shipyards could look like

48:09 – Weld quality, inspection and costly rework

53:23 – Could robotic maintenance eventually move onboard?

56:51 – Challenging the human-in-the-loop assumption

1:01:24 – How AI operates within welding standards

1:06:06 – NAVSEA, ABS and accepting robotic welding

1:09:31 – Resilience, reshoring and future shipbuilding

Heather's interest in welding is personal. Her husband operated a manufacturing business that struggled to find skilled welders, a problem that eventually contributed to his decision to sell it.

She explains how Path Robotics trains its Obsidian AI model using real-world welding data, why conventional industrial robots struggle with shipbuilding and how mobile systems such as Rove might offer new possibilities.

The discussion covers Path's collaboration with Saronic and its work with HII and GrayMatter Robotics. Heather also describes the working conditions faced by a submarine welder, raising difficult questions about safety and how skilled labour is used.

Later, the conversation turns to an assumption familiar across maritime AI: that a human should always remain in the loop. Heather makes the case for allowing trained models to adapt within approved welding procedures, while acknowledging where human involvement and technical oversight remain essential.

Nick and Raal also explore the potential for robotic maintenance at sea, the challenges of gaining technical acceptance and what a more automated shipbuilding industry could look like.

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