China’s robotics industry is quietly cornering a new niche – and shipyards stand to gain

After conquering the sky and land, China’s robotics industry is quietly building momentum in a niche segment: high-altitude operation solutions. RobotPlusPlus, a Zhejiang-based robotics supplier, has made headway into the market with its flagship global offering – an autonomous climbing robot designed for ship hull cleaning and descaling. The robot was considered safer than manual labour, the company said – and could extend a vessel’s service life. According to RobotPlusPlus, its flagship system...