Samsung is reportedly partnering with Samsonite in order to introduce smart luggage to the world, continuing humanity’s push towards making all of our everyday appliances, clothes and other miscellaneous items more intelligent than we are.
One of the least appreciated aspects of travelling is waiting for your luggage, but Samsung/Samsonite is looking to make the process a whole lot easier in a move that, if effective, will shave a considerable portion of time off travelers’ visits to the airport.
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The smart luggage will allegedly feature GPS implementation that will inform travelers of when their luggage is about to be distributed onto the carousel. This would essentially mean that the need to stand around aimlessly at the carousel impatiently awaiting the arrival of your stuff would be negated, and would also drastically decrease the amount of times you ask “is that our luggage?” only for your significant other to shake their head in disappointed resignation.
According to the Daily Mail, the luggage would be fitted with microchips that also have the capability to interact with your smartphone, sending you mobile alerts in regards to its location. If your luggage was lost, you could therefore easily find it, which is sure to give insurance companies preying on the paranoia of travelers something to worry about. It’ll also alert you whenever it’s been opened, so if you’re the suspicious sort who doesn’t trust anyone with your personal belongings, this feature will be sure to put your mind at ease when your luggage has made its way into the hands of the airline employees.
The chip will also help reduce check-in times, with it storing the travel information of the passenger such as airline and destination, meaning that all the owner of the smart luggage will have to do is place it on a conveyor built and go wait for their flight.
In the distant future Samsonite chief executive Ramesh Tainwala has said that he wants to create “self-propelling” autonomous luggage that will follow travelers just six inches behind them, which sounds like an incredibly easy way to get your luggage stolen. “This is a utopia we are working towards but we are not quite there yet,” Tainwala said. “It’s a blue sky idea where the bag will follow you 6 inches behind. It’s a bit like a programmable remote control car.”
While I have my reservations about the self-driving luggage, smart luggage that could see us abandoning all of the worst parts of traveling (save for the traveling itself) is certainly an exciting prospect.
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