Thanks to a partnership between Samsonite and Samsung, our luggage may soon be a lot smarter.
The days of traveling in fear that luggage lost may never be found could soon be over thanks to a partnership between Samsonite and Samsung. The two giants in their respective industries have joined forces to make suitcases smarter.
The new line of smart luggage is expected to hit the market by the year’s end, according to several media reports. Suitcases in the line will boast Samsonite’s reputation for quality with Samsung’s GPS technology to back them up.
The smart luggage will have GPS tracking devices built in so owners can synch their suitcases to their smartphones. The tracking system includes sensors that will enable luggage owners to tell from their phones if their bags have been opened without consent. What’s more, thanks to the GPS tracking, travelers will be able to determine where their bags are geographic
ally. That means the days of lost luggage being lost forever could come to an end.
“Smart luggage will communicate on one side with the owner and on the other with the carriers handling it,” Samsonite CEO Ramesh Tainwala explained to The Guardian. “Everything will be connected.”
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Samsonite and Samsung aren’t the only ones hoping to take the luggage market by storm with smart products. AT&T is also delving into new territory with plans to develop its own solution to create connected luggage. The company tipped its hat during the AT&T Innovation Showcase last summer about its efforts to create an app that tracks luggage and provides owners updates on baggage whereabouts. How soon that product might become available is unclear.
As the bigger names in luggage and tech race to make suitcases smarter, independent developers are also hoping to get a piece of the pie. A Kickstarter campaign has been created for a product called Space Case 1. This item would feature a tracker, a biometric fingerprint lock and a digital scale. That campaign kicked off with a $50,000 goal and has already raised more than $920,000.
Start-up Bluesmart is also working on the release of its own connected carry-on bag. That company has raised more than $2 million via Indiegogo.com for its case that will boast location tracking, a Bluetooth lock, a scale, trip data and other features. Like many of the other products under development, the Bluesmart Carry-On will connect owners with their luggage via a smartphone app. The case is expected to retail for $399.
Which manufacturer will make it to market first isn’t known. But it is clear that companies are lining up to take some of the stress out of travel.
