A Suitcase Designed for the Jetsons
As an avid traveler, I can attest that there are few things more frustrating than trying to lug a heavy bag through the airport. Sure, you can pack light, but there are some things you just need to bring on board. Rolling suitcases are great, but they tie up one of your hands which could perhaps be better used carrying a cup of coffee, your boarding pass, or for young parents, your child. Well, the ultimate in travel tech might be just around the corner: enter the robotic suitcase.
Equal parts awesome and eccentric, the luggage, called Hop!, is connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth. It automatically rolls along behind you, following your cell phone’s signal as you maneuver through the airport. Worried about security in a crowded airport? If it loses touch with your phone, it will lock itself and your phone will vibrate, alerting you to what has happened.
We’re all for making travel easier with techie hacks, but we’re not sure how well this one would do on the market. To me, it still needs quite a bit of improvement. For instance, I’d love to see more security features (what’s to stop someone from snagging this free-floating object?), a smoother rolling mechanism and the option to use it as a regular rolling suitcase in case the airport is particularly crowded or you’re in a rush to reach your gate.
Even if the suitcase concept doesn’t work, I could definitely see a use case for a similar automated mechanism related to steering grocery carts or extremely heavy objects.
