Novarc and Yaskawa Partner to Launch Autonomous AI Welding Robots

Novarc Technologies and Yaskawa America's Motoman Robotics Division have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate advanced artificial intelligence with industrial robotic systems, creating a new generation of autonomous welding robots for heavy manufacturing applications.

The partnership will combine Novarc's NovAI™ Physical AI platform with Yaskawa's globally deployed Motoman robotic systems to enable adaptive welding capabilities that can respond to production variables in real time. The companies aim to address longstanding manufacturing challenges associated with welding quality, productivity, and labor shortages across heavy fabrication industries.

Under the agreement, NovAI™ Autonomy will be integrated with Yaskawa's six-axis industrial robots, allowing welding systems to automatically adjust trajectories, speeds, and welding parameters without requiring extensive pre-programming or constant operator intervention. This breakthrough in "Physical AI" gives industrial robots perception and cognition, enabling them to see, understand, and adapt to their environment like an expert human welder.

Soroush Karimzadeh, Chief Executive Officer of Novarc Technologies, stated:

"We are excited to expand our collaboration with Yaskawa, implementing our leadership in industrial Physical AI within some of the world's most demanding welding environments. By integrating our Physical AI platform, NovAI™, with Yaskawa's world-class robotic solutions, we are charting a path toward autonomous, high-precision manufacturing that fundamentally elevates what robotic systems can achieve on the shop floor. This collaboration addresses the critical challenges of weld quality and productivity while helping our customers overcome the persistent shortage of skilled welding labor."

The companies plan to publicly demonstrate the NovAI™ Autonomy solution operating on a Yaskawa robot during the Automate trade show in Chicago later this month. The platform is designed to improve weld quality while reducing rework, material waste, and production bottlenecks caused by inconsistencies in fabrication environments.

Doug Burnside, Executive Vice President of Yaskawa America, Inc., stated:

"Yaskawa is dedicated to driving innovation and efficiency across heavy fabrication and industrial sectors. This collaboration will provide customers with vision automation and adaptive welding capabilities that deliver enhanced precision and productivity in modern manufacturing environments. By combining our proven six-axis robotic systems with Novarc's advanced AI, we're enabling manufacturers to achieve higher first-pass quality rates and significantly reduce costly rework operations."

The partnership also includes integrating Novarc's NovHub™ platform with Yaskawa's welding analytics technologies to create an Enterprise Welding Intelligence framework. The connected ecosystem will provide real-time production visibility, end-to-end weld traceability, predictive maintenance capabilities, and data-driven process optimization. Every weld becomes a data point, offering unprecedented visibility into production cycles and fueling continuous improvement across entire enterprises.

With more than 600,000 Motoman robots installed globally and existing Novarc customers reporting significant productivity improvements through automated welding technologies, the collaboration represents an important step toward intelligent, autonomous manufacturing systems that augment human capabilities and accelerate industrial digital transformation.