"Autonomous Driving is usually applied where lanes and signals are clear. WearableAI envisions a future where Autonomous Driving technology is integrated even in places where 'road rules' do not apply."
Baek Doo-san, founder and CEO of WearableAI, said this in an interview with ChosunBiz on Jan. 8 (local time) at the site of CES 2026, the world's largest IT and home appliance show, in Las Vegas. Baek launched WearableAI, a startup developing "special-purpose mobility" (SPM), in Jan. 2024 with the goal of "creating environments where you can move anywhere" (where + able).
Just four months after starting the business, it formed a consortium with hy Mobility and ATEC Mobility and won a project to introduce Autonomous Driving transport vehicles at Incheon International Airport. Ten 4-seater indoor Autonomous Driving vehicles equipped with WearableAI's solution are now running throughout Terminal 2 at Incheon Airport. The revenue from this project is about 1.4 billion won. It raised 2 billion won in a seed round joined by Quad Ventures, Naver D2SF, and Pohang University of Science and Technology POSTECH Holdings.
WearableAI aims to launch its indoor Autonomous Driving shuttle "L.I.N.C" in the first half of this year. It is conducting proof-of-concept (PoC) work with multiple airports around the world for the introduction of L.I.N.C. The product won Innovation Awards at CES 2026 in the "smart community" and "accessibility and sustainability" categories.
Baek said, "Rather than stopping at developing Autonomous Driving algorithms at a research level, I believe our on-site experience and simultaneous hardware-software design to deliver technology ready for commercialization led to winning two Innovation Awards."
Baek is a key member who developed SNUVER, Korea's first urban Autonomous Driving service, at Seoul National University. After SNUVER, for about 10 years Baek developed Autonomous Driving solutions at various companies in Korea and the United States. WearableAI's founding team includes people who handled core technologies at the first-generation Korean Autonomous Driving startup ThorDrive.
WearableAI's target market is "SPM Autonomous Driving." Baek said, "We have particular strength in Autonomous Driving vehicle technology operated for special purposes such as airports, military bases, and logistics bases," adding, "SPM Autonomous Driving devices must move stably in environments where road rules like lanes and signals are unclear and where people, equipment, and cargo move in complex ways." Baek continued, "This is a field where you cannot simply apply urban or highway solutions that have entered commercialization," and said, "We judged we could seize opportunities because it is difficult to apply existing solutions."
To achieve perfect Autonomous Driving even in environments without road rules, WearableAI developed artificial intelligence (AI) that enables vehicles to assess situations on their own. Using self-supervised learning, vehicles recognize their surroundings in real time on their own. The company is developing technology so the system can make its own judgments and respond to external changes. A key strength is that it does not rely on a data cloud and instead embeds AI functions directly in the vehicle.
Baek said, "It means that infrastructure like high-definition maps is not required," adding, "L.I.N.C requires no infrastructure, so it can be applied on site immediately, can respond 'without downtime' to changes in operating areas and environments, and delivers excellent maneuverability even in narrow, complex spaces."
The company plans to expand applications beyond airports in stages. Baek said, "Together with the Army Logistics Command, we are developing a multipurpose Autonomous Driving PBV (purpose built vehicle) platform capable of transporting personnel and cargo," adding, "We will expand the application of the technology to industrial complexes, logistics hubs, and public facilities."
Baek sees the Autonomous Driving market as entering an "inflection point." Baek said, "It has grown by relying on rule-based and high-definition map technologies, but now development is centered on E2E and mapless," adding, "The winners will be those who quickly commercialize solutions that incorporate these changes and secure the market early."