SR5 Smart Luggage Follows You Around Like a Dog Without a Leash

What we’re talking about here is the next step in automatizing our world. As a step towards a future with more and more robotic companionship, Airwheel, one of the larger manufacturers of e-anything, spit out its most recent addition for the busy traveler. It’s called the SR5 Smart Following Suitcase, and it seems to do just what its name would suggest.

Now, I did mention earlier that the travel business is all but dead due to the whole health crisis going on, so this is more to entertain family and friends for Christmas. Just kidding. Aside from being a $785 luxury toy that your kids can play on, it’s actually good for something.

The overall size of the suitcase is the standard 20-inch carry-on size, with 30 liters of internal space for your belongings. Just make sure that if you’re coming from the red light district, or anywhere in Europe really, you can ship your newly acquired ‘toys’ instead of taking them on the plane with you.

The shell is completed with ABS and PC materials, making it light and durable. Plus, it’s been through almost all possible tests to make sure components survive the beating handling crews give it between flights. Everybody knows what happens, unless you fly with a private jet. From the load drop test, to waterproofing, temperature change, vibrations test, and shatter test, it’s been through them all.

Now, this trinket includes three motors that push out a total peak of 50W, more than enough for your 20 lbs (9 kg) of junk in the trunk. Now the whole thing is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack with a not so significant capacity of 62.6Wh of juice. All this is good for a range of just 3.1 miles (5 km), which is enough, unless you get stranded in some snowstorm. Once drained, it’ll take up to 13 hours to recharge this thing, so just leave it in your hotel room as you go grab a pillow treatment.

But how the heck does it follow you around? Well, the owner receives a smartwatch which they’ll need to wear. Basically, all the suitcase does is follow the signal emitted by the watch. And it does it safely using automatic obstacle avoidance software. Not quite Lidar, but rather closer to radar.

One neat thing I found about the entire package is that it can reach speeds up to around 4 mph (6 kph). So if you’re caught having to book it to catch that closing boarding gate, you won’t have to worry too much about losing your luggage unless you’re Usain Bolt.

On top of it all, it’s decked out with a bunch of security protocols. It’s equipped with fingerprint access, and even a TSA approved locking mechanism. Heck, it even comes with an Anti-Loss protocol that vibrates the smartwatch warning you the device is out of range.

This makes it one hell of a sight to see as you’re boarding your next flight. Imagine you standing there, your ticket validated, and boarding gates open. You just start walking with no suitcase or anything in hand. Suddenly, the people behind you start moving aside as if something is biting at their ankles. Something like this small mindless beast.

Everyone stops as you continue. You look back to check on the positioning of your luggage, and even throw a whistle at it just to mess with everyone's head. While at it, why not give it a treat and pet it? That should give people something to talk about on the flight. Try not to mind the “he’s got a bomb” looks you’ll be getting.