Kookmin University’s (President Jeong Seung Ryul) College of Automotive and Mobility has been newly selected for the “Seoul Anchor 10 Challenge,” a sub-project under the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s 2026 “Regional Growth Talent Development System (Anchor)” initiative.

The “Seoul Anchor 10 Challenge” is a long-term research initiative in which universities plan and carry out research projects aimed at fostering future industries and solving urban problems. Selected projects will receive a total of 8 billion won over a maximum of nine years, with the goal of supporting the growth of Seoul’s strategic industries by linking research outcomes to patents and technology commercialization.

Kookmin University will operate the “AI-SAT Mobility Project Team” under the leadership of Professor Shin Sung-Hwan of the College of Automotive Mobility. Professors Yang Ji Hyun, Kim Jong-Chan, Lim Sejoon, Song Kyowon, Jeon Sanghoon, Lee Seung-Mok, and Kim Sanmin will participate in the project team.

AI-SAT stands for a mobility system in which artificial intelligence senses the urban mobility environment (Sense), moves based on its own judgment (Act), and is trusted by citizens (Trust). The project team plans to build the “AI-Defined Mobility (ADM) Platform,” which connects autonomous vehicles, mobile robots, and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) into a single AI system.

Based on the ADM platform, the research team intends to analyze major mobility issues in Seoul—such as traffic congestion, accident risks, urban noise, mobility constraints for vulnerable road users, and a lack of trust in autonomous driving systems—and develop solutions.

The project will also conduct field demonstrations in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and local districts. The team plans to collect data primarily from areas with heavy traffic congestion, frequent noise complaints, and high accident risks, and to validate technologies such as Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication, Urban Air Mobility (UAM), and secure robot communication. Additionally, the project will create a demonstration environment that allows for long-term surveys of public acceptance of future mobility technologies.

This project is also linked to “KMU VISION 2035: EDGE,” the mid- to long-term development strategy that Kookmin University is pursuing in celebration of its 80th anniversary. Kookmin University has designated mobility as one of its eight specialized fields and is strengthening education, research, and industry-academia collaboration in related areas such as automotive engineering, artificial intelligence, software, and autonomous driving. Through this project, the university plans to expand its research infrastructure to integrate everything from the research and development of future mobility technologies to urban field demonstrations, patents, and technology commercialization.

Professor Shin Sung-Hwan of Kookmin University’s College of Automotive Mobility, the principal investigator, stated, “This selection is an achievement based on the convergent research capabilities Kookmin University has accumulated in the fields of automotive mobility and artificial intelligence.” He added, “We will carry out this project to link research results to patents and technology commercialization and contribute to the development of Seoul’s future mobility industry.”

△ Image courtesy of the “AI-SAT Mobility Project Team” at Kookmin University’s College of Automotive and Mobility