Robot Builders Wanted: Austin Startup Pays to Train AI on Ships
A new tech startup in Austin is automating shipbuilding — and needs fresh talent to train robots
Valstad Shipworks, a robotics startup in Austin, is on a mission to modernize American shipbuilding using artificial intelligence and industrial robots. Right now, they’re building ships the way they’ve been built for decades — slowly, manually, and expensively. Their solution? Let robots do the heavy lifting.
The company uses AI software to read 3D ship models and automatically plan how to assemble and weld ship parts — sometimes as large as 10 by 40 feet. What makes this tricky is that even similar ship parts are rarely identical. To handle this, Valstad built its own fast, precise robotics software from scratch in a programming language called Rust. It runs on regular computers and can plan assembly in under 30 seconds.
Their approach combines classic robotics (like physics-based simulation) with “reinforcement learning” (letting AI improve through practice) only when it helps. The robots aren’t just prototypes — they’re already working in a real Austin facility, assembling ship parts for commercial and even autonomous vessels.
The company is actively hiring software engineers, especially those who love robots but don’t need shipbuilding experience. They say even if you don’t check every box, apply if you’re excited to build the future of making things.
- Valstad Shipworks uses AI-powered robots to assemble ship parts up to 10x40 feet in under 30 seconds on regular computers
- They built their own robot control software in Rust, avoiding slow, outdated shipyard methods
- The Austin-based startup is hiring engineers with no shipbuilding experience — just a passion for robotics
Why It Matters
This could speed up shipbuilding, cut costs, and reduce dangerous human labor — potentially lowering the price of boats, ferries, and even future autonomous ships.