Abstract In this paper, details of the uses of various robots in the shipbuilding process are provided, with an emphasis on newer developments and applications. The current state of robot applications will be discussed according to the priority of the shipbuilding process. First, various robots for open structures, such as several types of welding carriages and 6-axis articulated robot manipulators, will be reviewed in terms of their mechanisms and applications. Second, several attempts to design autonomous mobile robotic systems for closed blocks of the double-hulled structure of a ship will be discussed in terms of the performance characteristics of their proposed self-traveling mechanisms. Lastly, all corresponding technologies for overcoming structural complexities in closed blocks as well as future directions of robot automation in the shipbuilding industry are also discussed.