Frequent fliers will no longer have to worry about a pesky thing called walking to the terminal, through the airport or over short distances in general. Airwheel is bridging the gap between smart travel accessories and personal mobility solutions.
You’re excused if you didn’t know such gap existed or, for that matter, that it needed bridging. Airwheel is a China-based maker that’s behind a slew of innovative personal mobility solutions, including several motorized carry-ons that double as last-mile e-scooters. The Smart Luggage that’s now crowdfunding on KickStarter is the latest addition to the lineup.
The Airwheel Smart Luggage, described as “the unique rideable carry-on,” is not unique. The Chinese and Japanese markets are packed with similar products, even though they have failed to pick up more traction, pun intended. Airwheel themselves have at least a handful of models, but the latest is smaller, allegedly more personalizable (*a debatable statement for reasons we’ll get into later), more convenient, and apparently more appealing.
The smart carry-on is a small piece of luggage that’s TSA, FAA, and IATA-compliant, with a one-piece aluminum alloy frame and a polycarbonate hard shell, a 100W motor and a small 37V 73.26Wh battery. It can be used in either of two ways: as a conventional piece of luggage, in which case you can hop onboard the aircraft with it and pull it behind you when you’re in motion, or as a personal mobility solution.
In the latter case, you can not walk for 6.2 miles (10 km) or about an hour at a top speed of 6.2 mph (10 kph). Airwheel swears that hopping on top of your carry-on and letting yourself be wheeled around is five times faster than walking, so consequently more convenient, less stressful and more fun. As long as you don’t mind people gawking at you, you should be having the time of your life – and turn that walk to the terminal into your playground.
The carry-on is suitable for “most people’s body types, [so] everyone can ride in a more comfortable and graceful position.” Elegance is goal when you ride around the airport on top of your suitcase.
In motion by motor, you use the same handlebar to operate the small EV, with your feet resting on footpegs. You get a brake and accelerator button, and you can even roll in reverse by pressing both at the same time. The carry-on rides on 4-inch wheels that are shock-absorbent and abrasion- resistant, but you should still stick to indoor surfaces where you won’t get to test for yourself just how shock-absorbent they are.
The luggage weighs 16.5 pounds (7.5 kg) in total, including the battery, but can hold up to 286 pounds (130 kg) of maximum payload. A full charge is attained in two hours, and you have the option to swap the battery for an extended range, or conversely, to use it as a power bank for your other devices thanks to two USB ports.
As for why this thingy is smart, that’s because it comes with app connectivity. Airwheel offers anti-loss tracking on its Airwheel app, as well as the possibility to customize interior LED lighting to colors or different lighting modes. In non-smart mode, you get a 28-liter (1 cubic-foot) capacity suitcase.
This is where the luggage’s personalization feature supposedly comes in: according to the company, if you buy it with a clear case, you get to DIY customize it, by which you’re to understand you can add whatever stickers you want to it. You can also do that by choosing the color of the lights inside – you know, just in case rolling around on your suitcase didn’t attract enough attention to your person already.
The Airwheel Smart Luggage starts at $459 for backers, with an estimated MRSP of $799 when and if it reaches the production stage. Shipping for supporters is scheduled for February 2023, with Airwheel promising a choice of color schemes added for those who might not be exactly comfortable at the thought of riding on a suitcase that’s fully see-through.
The Airwheel Smart Luggage, described as “the unique rideable carry-on,” is not unique. The Chinese and Japanese markets are packed with similar products, even though they have failed to pick up more traction, pun intended. Airwheel themselves have at least a handful of models, but the latest is smaller, allegedly more personalizable (*a debatable statement for reasons we’ll get into later), more convenient, and apparently more appealing.
The smart carry-on is a small piece of luggage that’s TSA, FAA, and IATA-compliant, with a one-piece aluminum alloy frame and a polycarbonate hard shell, a 100W motor and a small 37V 73.26Wh battery. It can be used in either of two ways: as a conventional piece of luggage, in which case you can hop onboard the aircraft with it and pull it behind you when you’re in motion, or as a personal mobility solution.
The carry-on is suitable for “most people’s body types, [so] everyone can ride in a more comfortable and graceful position.” Elegance is goal when you ride around the airport on top of your suitcase.
In motion by motor, you use the same handlebar to operate the small EV, with your feet resting on footpegs. You get a brake and accelerator button, and you can even roll in reverse by pressing both at the same time. The carry-on rides on 4-inch wheels that are shock-absorbent and abrasion- resistant, but you should still stick to indoor surfaces where you won’t get to test for yourself just how shock-absorbent they are.
The luggage weighs 16.5 pounds (7.5 kg) in total, including the battery, but can hold up to 286 pounds (130 kg) of maximum payload. A full charge is attained in two hours, and you have the option to swap the battery for an extended range, or conversely, to use it as a power bank for your other devices thanks to two USB ports.
As for why this thingy is smart, that’s because it comes with app connectivity. Airwheel offers anti-loss tracking on its Airwheel app, as well as the possibility to customize interior LED lighting to colors or different lighting modes. In non-smart mode, you get a 28-liter (1 cubic-foot) capacity suitcase.
The Airwheel Smart Luggage starts at $459 for backers, with an estimated MRSP of $799 when and if it reaches the production stage. Shipping for supporters is scheduled for February 2023, with Airwheel promising a choice of color schemes added for those who might not be exactly comfortable at the thought of riding on a suitcase that’s fully see-through.