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We've seen amazing developments in transportation technology over the past few decades; cars are more environment-friendly, trains travel at hyper speed on magnets, and planes have wifi and satellite television. Living in 2016 is pretty amazing. But even with all of the advancements made in how we get to where we’re going, very little progress has been made in how we take our things there with us.
Suitcases are largely the same as they’ve been for the past four or five decades, maybe longer. Sure, we’ve moved past the steamer trunks that Harry Potter took to Hogwarts and Wes Anderson’s characters seem to takewherever they go. But other than adding wheels to our suitcases (first two, then four), little progress has been made in designing the carry-on of the future.
And that is where Bluesmart comes in. The company was funded through an IndieGogo campaign that raised more than $2 million from more than 10,000 backers, with the goal of designing a modern, tech-savvy suitcase made for travel in the 21st century. The suitcase connects wirelessly to your smartphone and a corresponding app to provide a number of benefits.
The Bluesmart Smart Carry-On has a sensor that can tell you the weight of your luggage before you take it through security. It also has a digital lock feature so you can secure your cargo from your phone, as well as an internal battery that holds enough power to recharge your phone six times over, ensuring that you’ll never lose access to your audiobooks halfway across the Atlantic Ocean.
The suitcase has a location tracker so you can track where your suitcase is if it ever gets away from you, too. Through its app, Bluesmart hopes to use this feature to expand how it can better help you prepare for your upcoming trips. In the near future your luggage could be helping you book your return tickets after a cancellation or reminding you to bring an extra jacket to London for this trip because it’s been unseasonably cold recently.
The Bluesmart Smart Carry-On may not be for everyone — if you’re only looking for a quick replacement to your current luggage situation, there are cheaper options out there to suit your needs. But for anyone looking to upgrade their travel equipment with the future in mind, this is a great place to hop on board.
Bluesmart Smart Carry-On, £260, available at Amazon.