Carry-on luggage design innovation tends to involve subtle changes in weight, materials, the turning capacity of wheels, or surface elements like shape and color. But the team at Bluesmart, a New York City–based company founded last year by a group of students, seasoned product designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs, has decided to build its version of the 21st-century suitcase. They have likely created a innovative leap in carry-on suitcase design with a prototype of “the world’s first smart, connected carry-on suitcase.”
Courtesy of Bluesmart
Bluesmart promises smartphone app–enabled location tracking, proximity sensors that lock your bag when you lose contact with it, remote-controlled locking and unlocking, a built-in digital scale, and an integrated phone charger—all wrapped into what looks like your average wheeled carry-on suitcase, albeit with distinctive blue accents. Made of polycarbonate and aluminum, the Bluesmart weighs 8½ pounds and has carry-on friendly dimensions of 21½ inches by 14 inches by 9 inches. The company says in a press release that the suitcase’s technology uses “micro sensors, actuators and a microcomputer with GPS that communicated with smartphones via Bluetooth to track and communicate data to the user.”
Courtesy of Bluesmart
In just three days since it launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, Bluesmart has raised more than $300,000, surpassing its $50,000 goal several times over. As of today, backers can receive a carry-on for $235 (estimated retail will start at $450), with a rollout date expected in August 2015.
“After decades of no innovation in the luggage industry, we re-imagined the suitcase to solve all the problems of the modern traveler,” reads the crowdfunding pitch. “No more luggage nightmares to spoil your trips. With Bluesmart you will travel smarter, and be the coolest kid in the airport.”
Check out the video below to learn more about Bluesmart:
