This was published 8 years ago
The 'smart suitcase': Hands-free robotic carry-on suitcase that follows you around
By Soo Kim
The suitcase is able to travel automatically alongside its user once activated by a smartphone app.
Equipped with a camera sensor inside the case and Bluetooth technology, the new luggage is designed by NUA Robotics, an Israeli-based company, and able to travel automatically alongside its user once activated by a smartphone app.
Currently at a preliminary prototype stage, the carry-on suitcase is designed with a "proximity detection" feature, allowing it to move at the user's pace, while avoiding any obstacles along its way. At the moment, it is limited to a speed of up to 5km/h but will be designed to move much faster in the future, Alex Libman, co-founder and CEO of NUA Robotics, said.
Other highlights include a built-in rechargeable battery, lasting between 60-90 minutes per charge, which will be made removable at a later stage, but is currently charged by plugging it into an outlet. The suitcase can also be used to charge any device with a USB input.
The suitcase is equipped with a camera sensor and Bluetooth technology.
The suitcase also features an anti-theft alarm and can also send real-time data, including its weight and location, to your smartphone.
Currently made with ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) materials, which are said to be known for their tough, impact resistant properties, the later model will be made with waterproof materials, according to Mr Libman.
Weighing around 1kg more than an average cabin bag, and featuring a pull-out handle which can be used to pull it in manual mode, the NUA luggage has a sleek and sturdy appearance, similar to a mini icebox.
'Your suitcase has arrived'.
While its retail price is yet to be determined, the designers aim to have a finalised version of the suitcase available for sale by this Christmas. Mr Libman hopes its automated design could be incorporated into other consumer products.
The NUA suitcase is not the first robotic luggage to be proposed on the market. Designs for the Hop, a self-driving suitcase that also connects to a Bluetooth signal from its owner's phone and rolls after it, were revealed in 2012 by Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez.
Other recent high-tech suitcase designs include the Space Case 1 unveiled last year, which offers a range of features including fingerprint-based lock system, a wireless speaker and a text notification system to indicate its arrival on the baggage carousel.
Trunkster, a zipless suitcase designed to give travellers the "most streamlined travel experience", featuring a sleek, sliding cover, was introduced in 2014, as was Bluesmart, a suitcase that locks, weighs and tracks itself, and the City Cab, a three-wheeled motorised suitcase that doubles as a scooter, carrying up to two passengers, travelling up to a speed of about 20 km per hour and a maximum distance of about 60km.
NeXstep, a suitcase that could be converted into a chair, was also unveiled in 2014. The four-wheeled suitcase comes with a pull-out handle that can be detached and unfolded into a backless chair.
One man also invented a chair that can be "magically" folded into a small suitcase in seconds. The wooden suitcase, weighs 4.6kg.
The Telegraph, London
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