A Busan-based logistics tech company has challenged the global logistics automation market, leveraging a combination of "robots and data." Locus Korea has formalized its move toward "Physical AI," in which data directs robot behavior in real time, going beyond simple equipment automation.
According to the Busan Center for Creative Economy & Innovation on Tuesday, Locus Korea, a portfolio company of the center, announced a mid- to long-term roadmap to integrate and deploy humanoid robots in logistics sites. The company has designated this year as the "first year of intelligent logistics" and plans to complete technology upgrades to a level applicable to actual operating environments by next year.
At the core is INDITION, the company's proprietary AI-based logistics operating system (OS). The system integrates and manages the entire process of receiving, inventory management, delivery, and settlement, functioning not merely as a management tool but as the "brain of the robots." Based on data accumulated from actual logistics sites through collaboration with Hyundai Glovis and Korea Development Bank, the goal is to transform entire logistics centers into a single digital platform.
The starting point of its technological competitiveness is speed. Locus Korea recently demonstrated in a technology due diligence the ability to query 10 million records in 3 seconds. This represents a roughly 97% reduction in latency compared with the industry average of 72 seconds. Beyond simple efficiency gains, this means the company has secured the "real-time capability" needed for robots to make instant judgments and move in the field.
The technology will show its full value when applied to humanoid robots. The robots, which will be fully integrated by 2027, will move freely around logistics centers without fixed equipment, performing picking, loading, and sorting tasks. Even if the structure of a logistics center changes, "flexible automation" that responds instantly based on data can be implemented. This represents a shift from the existing conveyor-based equipment automation to a "mobile intelligent robot" approach.
The company has also reduced adoption risks, a key hurdle for commercialization. It shortened the data migration period, previously an obstacle when switching logistics providers, from two months to one week, and designed the system to enable precise inventory management at the 0.03% level immediately upon adoption. This structure minimizes revenue losses during the transition period, significantly lowering the adoption barrier for corporate clients.
Growth has been steep. Locus Korea's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) stands at 158%, an exceptional pace of expansion even among early-stage logistics startups. After completing its Series A funding round, the company is targeting global market expansion along with an initial public offering (IPO) in 2029.
"This year will mark the starting point where the INDITION OS and humanoids combine to bring intelligence to logistics sites," said Lee Jun-hyun and Kim Tae-ik, co-CEOs of Locus Korea. "Through global expansion, we will present a new logistics standard."
