[AI Revolution](193) Indoor Autonomous Shuttle 'Link' Navigates Airports...Leading the Special Purpose Vehicle Market

[Interview] Baekdusan, CEO of Wearable AI
Developing Hardware Alongside Autonomous Driving Solutions
Winner of CES Innovation Award... "Focusing on Advancing Technology"

"We develop vehicles with special purposes that operate within restricted areas such as airports, ports, factories, and resorts. We need to ensure that 'Link' can move smoothly through crowds at airports."

The CEO of Baekdusan Wearable AI is posing with the Innovation Award trophy won at CES 2026 before an interview at Wearable AI in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the 25th. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

Wearable AI will conduct a business proof-of-concept (PoC) for its indoor autonomous vehicle (shuttle), 'Link,' in the second half of this year. The company plans to launch it first in domestic department stores and airports, with the goal of expanding to airports worldwide. This product won the Innovation Award in both the 'Smart Community' and 'Accessibility & Sustainability' categories at CES 2026, the world's largest IT and electronics exhibition. In the Seoul Yeongdeungpo office, I was able to see a newly completed, full-scale model of Link.

Baekdusan, CEO of Wearable AI (pictured), said in an interview, "Vehicles that operate indoors have the advantage of relatively rapid commercialization," adding, "Passengers can enjoy convenient transportation and futuristic experiences with indoor autonomous vehicles, while operators can reduce labor costs."

Wearable AI was founded by the co-founders of 'ThorDrive,' Korea's first-generation autonomous driving startup. Established in January 2024, the company secured seed investments from Quad Ventures, Naver D2SF, and others. Recently, it opened a new investment round with the goal of closing by June. With a team equipped with full-stack autonomous driving technology and field experience in both Korea and the United States, the company is quickly securing work and establishing itself in the market.

Currently, ten four-seater indoor autonomous vehicles operating in Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport are equipped with Wearable AI's solution. In addition, the company is developing autonomous vehicles for multipurpose (personnel and cargo transport) use for the Army Logistics Command. Wearable AI plans to steadily expand into private spaces, both domestically and internationally, where autonomous vehicles are needed.

CEO Baek said, "SPM is a field with a strong B2B (business-to-business) character, so there are many issues that need to be addressed for special environments like airports and ports," adding, "We plan to stake our claim first, based on our confidence in our autonomous driving technology." He continued, "Since Korea is a powerhouse in manufacturing and logistics, every B2B player is significant. Securing these companies as customers through PoC itself will be a major milestone."

The CEO of Baekdusan Wearable AI is being interviewed on the 25th at the office set up in Saenggakgongjang Dangsan, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Wearable AI applies an end-to-end (E2E) method so that autonomous vehicles can independently perceive and judge their surroundings. The company is also considering ways to further enhance safety. CEO Baek explained, "When it comes to safety, the E2E method alone cannot be the answer. A collision avoidance module layer is essential, and we need to address hallucination issues. By expanding the network in stages and providing intermediate outputs, we will make it possible to see what decisions are being made."

CEO Baek predicted that there will be growing demand and investment for SPM in the logistics sector from the perspective of vertical (specialized) AI. Citing recent investment successes by the UK autonomous driving startup 'Oxa' and US defense autonomous solutions company 'Fortera,' he said, "Venture capital is increasingly flowing into the logistics autonomous driving market amid the massive trend of logistics process automation." He viewed the immediate labor shortage and risk of accidents as issues that market players themselves will need to manage and improve.

While Wearable AI is open to the possibility of an initial public offering (IPO) as the company grows, its immediate focus is on advancing its technology. CEO Baek said, "I've been considering a startup in autonomous driving for the past 15 years, and I'm gradually achieving that dream. I believe that Link must be able to move smoothly even amid large crowds inside airports, and that is our primary goal for now."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.