Categories
Connected Objects Luggage and Bags

The Travelmate suitcase stalks you through airports

One of the biggest hassles involved with flying involves the huge suitcases people have to lug over the course of the entire trip. The bigger they are, the more unwieldy it is to actually travel with, making the already exhausting process of traveling even more of an exercise.

For all those people ready to lighten the load, the Travelmate is the perfect solution. It’s the first suitcase that can follow users around autonomously using a combination of two rugged and two precise wheels with AI learning. Along with its ability to process data from other Travelmates, the robotic suitcase can easily navigate crowds of people and other obstacles it encounters in a vertical or horizontal driving mode. A slew of other helpful features rounds out the product.

Categories
Connected Objects Luggage and Bags Robots/Drones Travel

Travelmate robotic suitcase follows wherever you go while traveling

Frequent problems that travelers face, especially while on their own, include not having enough hands to carry everything and suitcases hitting other travelers’ legs while being wheeled around. And then there’s the universal problem all travelers face when trying to figure out how much a valise weighs to avoid airline charges.

Travelmate is a robotic suitcase that responds to the user’s gestures and will follow him or her around without being carried or pulled, making traveling easier. The autonomous robot companion is also smart enough to avoid any obstacles in its way thanks to its Follow Me system’s built-in sensors that detect and avoid obstacles including people and furniture. Its GPS chip helps orient the suitcase and allows users to know the location of the suitcase at all times, in conjunction with a companion app for unspecified mobile devices. Travelmate uses artificial learning and machine learning to optimize its movements, while its omni wheels allow for increased stability and range of motion.

Travelmate also has a touch-enabled lock system that scans the user’s fingerprint to open the suitcase, while a built-in scale that will accurately measure the weight of a suitcase’s contents. It touts a battery life of four hours when in full autonomous mode and up to 100 hours in stand-by mode when it’s used just like a normal suitcase. Multi- colored LED lighting is featured on all Travelmate models and informs the user of the suitcase’s battery level.

Categories
Connected Objects Luggage and Bags

The Modobag carry-on won’t ride into the sunset

The last time Backerjack covered the Modobag, a numerous luggage-turned-transportation projects had already failed before the team behind the Modobag LLC went out to attempt raising $160,000 in 2015. Unfortunately, that Kickstarter ended up being a dud, raising just $21,000 of its original goal.

Modobag LLC is back at it again with its Modobag rideable carry-on luggage, this time opting to focus its crowdfunding efforts on a flexible Indiegogo campaign instead. Despite the lukewarm reception the last time around, the product is receiving a much warmer welcome this time. That’s not surprising: At its core, the Modobag is a compelling offering, which is why it’s still pretty much the same bag the team offered last year. It still combines a roomy 2000 cubic inches of interior space with a motor within that can achieve a top speed of eight miles hours per hour with a range of about six miles. (This isn’t Fast and Furious, folks.)

Categories
Fashion Luggage and Bags Music

The LiLu Smart Bag makes you the light of the party

The fashion of EDM culture is as unique as the music it produces, with festivals packed to the gills with attendees flaunting some of the most vibrant, colorful, and standout outfits you’ll ever see. It makes sense: the point of most of these festivals is to be happy and friendly — and make an impact while doing so.

While there are plenty of ways to do so, there aren’t many stronger than the LiLu Smart Bag. This slim purse sports a flexible LED panel that reacts in real time to music that’s playing, making it a perfect companion for any EDM festival. An internal pocket in the purse itself is great for keys and other small accessories, while beside sits a micro-USB slot to charge the LiLu’s 10-hour battery.

Categories
Connected Objects Luggage and Bags Travel

Serenity Now! Bag guardian goes beyond Bluetooth item finders

Some of the countless bags carried every single day hold people’s most prized possessions but offer little in the way of theft protection beyond a lock that’s easily compromised once the bag has been absconded. The one surefire way nothing untoward happens to it all is to keep constant vigil — an umpleasant expectation on a packed morning commute or enjoying a much needed island vacation.

Serenity has been designed to achieve peace of mind. This connected tag attaches to any bag and syncs with a smartphone to offer users a variety of different ways to keep an indirect eye on their goods. For starters, theft detection and deterrence are built-in. By syncing a user’s devices to the tag, it can sense when the bag is being moved by someone other than its owner, letting off a wailing 170dB alarm when it happens. At the same time, it can also regulate access to a single pocket by requiring either a keycode or its corresponding smartphone to be in range in order to avoid the alarm from tripping while being opened, going as far as reminding users about their open pockets when it isn’t busy standing guard.

Categories
Luggage and Bags

Néit offers neat way to store and track luggage

Losing track of luggage ranks as one of the most annoying parts of traveling by airplane. Having bulky luggage that takes up too much room in the closet, meanwhile, can be a minor annoyance also.

patent-claimedThe collapsible Néit Luggage offers a solution to both of those issues. The accompanying iOS and Android app works in conjunction with a GPS tracker that enables owners of the luggage to locate it, as well as store boarding passes, book additional flights and hotels, check the status of flights, map the route from an airport to a hotel and find location-specific tips on things to do.

Categories
Luggage and Bags Organization Travel

Go with the FLO using the NOM.AD Mobility Ecosystem carry solution

Note: The following is a sponsored post and does not necessarily reflect the editorial opinion of Backerajck. Backerjack contributor Nick Echevarria is part of the NOM.AD team.

Modern life is lived on the go, comprised of a broad range of daily experiences. For every changing moment, the urban nomad needs a carrying solution that keeps everything needed for the day comfortably in reach; rather than one that introduces more difficulties throughout the day. Founder Ryan Clott created NOM.AD because he saw a need for a solution versatile enough to keep up with a dynamic urban lifestyle.

The answer? The Mobility Ecosystem, a line of weatherproof luxury bags and cases that seamlessly work together to create a better, more personal carrying experience. To achieve this, they are connected by the FLO System, the defining feature of all NOM.AD products. Comprised of a precisely designed network of patented Swiss snaps, users can select five differently sized FLO Pouches and quickly attach or detach them to either NOM.AD bag for better, faster organization — all depending on the carrying needs of the moment. It’s a snap-and-go kind of experience.

Categories
Luggage and Bags Personal Transportation

MODOBAG luggage/scooter combo gets you to your gate in a jiffy

Packing light is the cardinal rule when flying, but sometimes that can’t happen. Occasionally, it’s necessary to pack a lot more. In these situations, it just isn’t fun wading through the airport masses with a carry-on and multiple bags to check in.

The MODOBAG attempts to alleviate the situation by providing weighed-down travelers with the option of hopping on and taking it for a ride. The carry-on/scooter combo features a fully motorized 2000 cubic inches of space within a lightweight aluminum chassis weighing in at under 20 pounds that travelers can use to cruise around at a top speed of eight miles per hour, enjoying steady control with a precise steering column.

Categories
Luggage and Bags

GoBag gives clothes a squeeze to dodge luggage fees

Check or carry-on? With added charges and overages, more passengers are squeezing everything they can into those overhead bins.

The GoBag is a versatile bag designed with the journey in mind. The “Works” package includes the Max Pack Bag to pack clothes and other soft items. Then, by hand or vacuum, the bag compresses down for more carry-on space. There’s also an adaptable harness for a laptop, so it’s protected and easy to grab at security. The GoBag also features a clear “washbag” that detaches and slides right into the airport bins. The creators of the product ask $180 for “The Works”, and they are hoping to raise $70,392 by June 24th, 2015, with expected delivery in Oct 2015.

The GoBag brings the concept behind the long-available Space Bag to luggage. This rugged carry-on features zippers all around, so everything is easy to access on the go. Of course, if you need to pack things other than clothes that are easily compressible, it may have limited value.

Categories
Luggage and Bags Tech Accessories

GateMate keeps your coffee upright and devices charged while waiting to board

For those who travel often, using and charging mobile devices on the go can sometimes be a hassle. This problem is sometimes compounded by the frustration that results from what have increasingly become prolonged check-in procedures.

GateMate is a portable table that aims to make the entire travel experience much more convenient. GateMate is essentially an attachable table one can connect to their suitcase handle. Once clipped on, the table is perfect for storing items like keys and cups of coffee. It can even be used as a platform for a laptop if you want to get some work done. Even better, the GateMate has the ability to charge electronic devices. Notably, the product is small enough such that it can be stashed away in a suitcase’s front compartment.

Other travel accessories that frequent fliers might want to consider include Smart Unit, Lugabug, and RuitBag. This campaign seeks to raise $50,000 CAD (~$39,300 USD) by April 15, 2015. Backers get one product for $45 CAD (~$35 USD) with an expected delivery of August 2015.