링크(linq)

In large airports or shopping malls, the travel distance can reach several kilometers, posing a challenging "last mile" problem for the elderly or pregnant women. Existing methods involve wheelchair rentals or electric carts driven by staff, but these solutions suffer from manpower burden and waiting times. Furthermore, even when electric carts are available in some facilities, they operate only on fixed routes, lacking flexibility.

There were also technical limitations, as GPS is not available indoors, making autonomous driving difficult. Especially in airports, long-distance travel between boarding gates can cause passenger fatigue and the risk of late arrival. The whereable.ai team aims to solve these indoor mobility issues and the mobility rights of vulnerable groups by developing a shuttle that finds its own route without the need for map construction.

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The linq shuttle is the first autonomous cart that "learns its way indoors" on its own. With a super-sized 32:9 touchscreen in the vehicle, passengers can simply tap the airport gate number or store name, and the AI calculates the optimal route and departs immediately. With World-Model based End-to-End autonomous driving technology, it can build real-time maps while driving with cameras and LiDAR without fixed HD maps, allowing immediate operation in any indoor space without installed infrastructure (rails, beacons).

Its safety is high enough to stop urgently within 1.2 seconds by detecting surrounding people with 360-degree cameras and LiDAR. It returns to charge itself when the battery is low with a floor wireless charging pad, and can run for 90 minutes on a full charge. Above all, the passenger UX is universally designed to allow wheelchair and stroller users to easily board, with an 8-inch low boarding height and a 31-inch wide doorway.

Similar products require pre-installation of QR codes or markings to enable autonomous driving indoors, but linq's overwhelming differentiation from competitors is that "everything is done by the vehicle itself without beacons or rails." In addition, the real-time fleet management system allows operators to monitor and remotely control multiple vehicles at once, leading to operational efficiency.

Operators (B2B) of large airports, complex malls, hospitals, resorts, etc.This is a model where they purchase or lease and provide it as a service to visitors. For example, it is being piloted at Incheon International Airport, and global airports overseas are showing interest. Theme parks and exhibition halls can also introduce it for customer convenience. In addition, it can be used as a self-driving shuttle in elderly care facilities or campuses, so institutional purchases are expected.

whereable.ai is considering a B2B2C model, supplying to B2B partners (facilities) and allowing end passengers to use it as a free or paid service. Currently, in conjunction with overseas airport PoC discussions and government smart city projects, there is also the prospect of multiple units being ordered as demonstration projects in the public sector (B2G) (such as domestic local government smart airport projects).

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Thousands of airports and large malls around the world are potential markets, and demand is especially high in countries that have entered an aging society. Technically, it is limited to indoor autonomous driving, so it can be commercialized quickly without being affected by road traffic regulations. Once verified in one location, it is easy to replicate to other facilities, making scaling relatively easy.

In the long term, it can be expanded to outdoor special-purpose autonomous driving (resort carts, logistics hubs, etc.), and in fact, whereable.ai has expressed its willingness to develop outdoor resort carts and military logistics vehicles. Driving data accumulated through cloud fleet management can be converted into AI mobility services in the future, expanding the business in the form of licensing the indoor autonomous driving platform to other companies.

However, the initial introduction cost, the problem of taking up space in the facility, and the issue of interaction with pedestrians in crowded places can be variables in the spread. However, by leveraging the experience of operating 10 units at Incheon Airport to establish safety protocols, these obstacles are expected to be gradually resolved.

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Simultaneous winner of two CES 2026 Innovation Awards (Accessibility & Smart Communities)It has been recognized for both its technological prowess and social value. Domestic and international media introduced linq as a *"paradigm shift in indoor mobility,"* and the judges' evaluation was that it is an *"inclusive mobility that takes people where they want to go in complex indoor spaces without a map."* In particular, the CES Innovation Award has become a stepping stone for entering the global market, leading to numerous overseas buyer meetings (company announcement).

Experts at whereable.ai say that"technical challenges have been solved"and that they are 2-3 years ahead of competitors in the field of indoor autonomous driving carts. However, in the commercialization stage, there are realistic challenges such as coordination with facility operations and recovery of initial investment costs, so there is also an opinion that market verification is needed. For example, it is pointed out that *"it is excellent as a technology demo, but in actual sales, maintaining a 0% safety accident rate and proving cost-effectiveness are key."*

Overall, there is a dominant positive view of the product as providing real benefits to the socially vulnerable,and it has been praised as a "CES-produced Korean startup innovation."##

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