News
Sonnet.AI Completes P2P Autonomous Drivi…
Sonnet.AI (SONNET Co., Ltd., CEO Keesoep Kim) and its consortium partners have successfully completed the five-year national R&D project, "Development of a Point-to-Point (P2P) Autonomous Minivan Platform," and are set to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Daegu Metropolitan City in May 2026. ◇ Autonomous Driving for Everyday Life — Built for Both Riders and Operators The outcomes of this R&D project go beyond delivering high-performance autonomous driving technology. The consortium has built a practical, everyday autonomous driving environment — one that creates tangible value for both end users and mobility service operators. For riders, the service breaks free from the fixed routes and designated stops that have long limited conventional autonomous shuttle services. To realize true P2P mobility — where passengers can hail a vehicle from any location and travel to any destination — Sonnet.AI developed real-time perception and decision-making technology that fuses AI with 3D precision mapping. The onboard AI autonomous driving system rapidly and accurately interprets complex urban environments, determines optimal driving strategies, and executes precise vehicle control to deliver seamless P2P autonomous driving. For taxi and mobility operators, the consortium developed proprietary vehicle conversion and interface engineering technology that enables standard production vehicles to be readily transformed into autonomous driving platforms. This breakthrough dramatically lowers the barrier to entry for operators seeking to adopt autonomous driving, and is expected to serve as a key catalyst for accelerating the growth of a privately led autonomous mobility service ecosystem.◇ Achieving Full Technological Independence — Recognized by Independent Expert Evaluation The most significant achievement of this project is the establishment of a Level 4 autonomous driving ecosystem built entirely on domestically developed technology — with no reliance on foreign platforms or externally sourced technologies. The Sonnet.AI consortium — comprising DGIST, iNavi Systems Corp., and THINKWARESYS. — achieved full technological independence across all core domains, including autonomous vehicle control, real-time perception through AI model lightweighting, and safety-map technology based on the SOTIF (ISO 21448) safety standard. Notably, through AI optimization, the system enables real-time autonomous driving even on low-cost, low-spec edge computing hardware such as the NVIDIA Jetson. The consortium also developed its own high-precision GNSS sensors in-house, replacing expensive imported components and significantly enhancing price competitiveness. Equally impressive results were achieved in mapping and localization — technologies that are fundamental to autonomous driving reliability. Sonnet.AI developed and integrated a large-scale SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology capable of real-time perception across kilometer-wide areas and centimeter-level 3D positioning. This enables reliable autonomous navigation even in GPS-challenged environments such as dense urban corridors and tunnels, raising the overall safety bar for autonomous driving. The technology also establishes the foundational infrastructure needed to rapidly scale service coverage in the future. These achievements were recognized in an independent expert technology evaluation, which confirmed that the platform has reached a level of completion suitable for commercialization — well beyond the scope of a standard R&D project. The system also passed all performance tests administered by accredited external testing bodies, further validating its technical reliability. ◇ No Fixed Routes. Real Autonomy. The P2P Robotaxi Arrives in Daegu. Launching this May in the Daegu Technopolis area, the raxi – Sonnet.AI Robotaxi service stands apart from conventional autonomous shuttle services. Rather than circulating between fixed stops, it offers true P2P mobility — passengers board and alight at locations of their choosing. This marks a pivotal milestone in the transition of autonomous driving from a novelty to a practical, everyday mode of transportation for the public. Keesoep Kim, CEO of Sonnet.AI and the lead technologist behind the project, stated: "The past five years have been a period of relentless effort, with every member of our team committed to securing foundational technology. This expert evaluation has validated our world-class technological competitiveness. Starting from Daegu Technopolis, we will lead a new standard in autonomous driving services and accelerate our expansion into global markets." Autonomous driving is widely recognized as a core technology of Physical AI — AI that interacts with and operates in the real world. The successful development of a commercially ready autonomous platform using entirely domestic technology, free from dependence on foreign platforms, represents a landmark achievement: securing the technological self-sufficiency of Korea's mobility ecosystem and establishing a firm foundation for global market entry.◇ Early Rider Recruitment Underway Ahead of May Launch In advance of the service launch, Sonnet.AI will be recruiting members of the public to join a Robotaxi Early Experience Program. Selected participants will be among the first to call a robotaxi through a dedicated app and experience the smooth, safe ride enabled by Sonnet.AI's proprietary autonomous driving technology. Details on the early rider program and service launch will be announced through Sonnet.AI's official website at https://sonnet.ai and official social media channels.
Read More