By Nicole DiGiose, content editor
Picture this: You’re winding through a buzzing airport headed to your gate, boarding pass loaded on your smartphone, an eco-friendly cup of joe in one hand, and your carry-on suitcase zipping behind you, avoiding the crowds of kneecaps all on its own. Yes, this could be the future, high-tech version of you. At least that’s how San Francisco-based company, Travelmate Robotics, envisions it.
The friendly robotic assistant will respond to your voice commands and carry your belongings. Image source: Travelmate Robotics.
Designed to be a fully autonomous suitcase, the friendly robotic assistant is ready to deploy after being successfully crowdfunded on Indiegogo. Available in three sizes — small, medium, and large — the suitcase, with the help of your smartphone, uses artificial intelligence and an array of sensors to avoid obstacles while sticking close behind you. With a maximum speed of 6.75 miles per hour, it moves upright or flat on its side and responds to voice commands such as “stop” and also simple hand gestures (if you spin your hand, your suitcase will revolve, for example).
With a battery life of four hours, the suitcase can keep up with you for quite some time as long as you don’t have any lengthy layovers. When its battery dies, you’ll have to temporarily carry it like a normal piece of luggage. On the bright side, you can name your suitcase whatever you’d like and it will respond when you speak to it. Equipped with a camera mounted close to the handle, it can also serve as a personal photographer during your travels, and its LED lights don’t just serve as a battery life display but can make you feel like you’re from a galaxy far, far away.
The robotic suitcases come in a variety of sizes and colors. Image source: Travelmate Robotics.
Of course, you may be concerned that someone could easily snatch up your robotic friend and get their hands on your personal information and belongings. Travelmate has you covered, because the suitcase locks and unlocks using a fingerprint in addition to a TSA-compliant locking mechanism. A GPS chip is also embedded into each suitcase, which you can track on your smartphone with the accompanying app. For extra security, you can select a function that will lock the suitcase’s wheels when it recognizes that it’s no longer following you.
Not convinced on the ways of the future? Check out the video below to see the suitcase in action.
To get your own Travelmate, fly over to the company’s Indiegogo campaign and pre-order to take one home this September. Prices range from $499 to $695, depending on your preferences.
If you’re interested in more robots like this, check out the Gita robot. It’s a small cargo vehicle that can be programmed to carry your belongings and follow you anywhere. By the looks of it, there can’t be a future without personal robotic assistants!
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