Gasgoo Munich- Black Sesame Technologies has officially partnered with COSCO Shipping (Qingdao) Smart Transportation Equipment Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, to launch a joint project developing embodied AI inspection robots for vessels.
Image source: Black Sesame Technologies
Focusing on the demanding inspection needs of ocean-going vessels, the project will drive joint R&D into embodied AI systems, edge-side control platforms, and perception algorithms. By integrating computing power with real-world scenarios, the partners aim to engineer embodied AI technology for environments where complexity and reliability are paramount. The initiative will also pull in universities and industry players to collaborate on algorithms and system validation, accelerating the loop from R&D to practical application.
As the digitalization arm of COSCO SHIPPING, COSCO Shipping (Qingdao) Smart Transportation Equipment specializes in scenarios spanning vessels, ports, and logistics. It is developing comprehensive intelligent transportation robot solutions and rolling out automated products to support the nation's maritime ambitions. In 2025, the company introduced tank cleaning and underwater hull cleaning robots, pioneering the use of automation in high-risk, low-efficiency maritime tasks—a move backed by deep operational expertise and engineering prowess.
For this initiative, COSCO Shipping (Qingdao) Smart Transportation Equipment will supply the real-world scenario logic to define the robot's purpose, establish reliable engineering standards for development, and map out a verified compliance path for market entry.
Black Sesame Technologies, a leading AI computing platform company, is leveraging its core strengths in high-performance chips and edge computing to expand into robotics. Having proven its tech through mass production, the company is now systematically applying that expertise to embodied AI. In 2025, it launched the SesameX platform—a complete computing stack spanning hardware modules to system software—featuring three core modules (Kalos, Aura, and Liora) designed to adapt to robots of varying complexity and form.
Black Sesame Technologies will contribute its edge-side computing platform and software-hardware support, driving intelligent upgrades for tasks like inspection, equipment monitoring, and emergency response.
"Maritime and shipping environments demand extreme reliability, real-time response, and adaptability to complex conditions," said Zhao Caixia, COO of Black Sesame Technologies. "They serve as a critical proving ground for the mass adoption of embodied AI robots." This partnership, she added, will lay the groundwork for expanding into high-value industries and unlocking the true potential of robotics in specialized fields.
