Sitting at our desks working at CES in Las Vegas we see one gentleman walk past and a couple of meters behind him is a luggage case following him like R2D2. Everywhere this guy is walking, this suitcase is following his exact path. So here is some information about the autonomous luggage…
Called the CowaRobot it is a carry on sized piece of luggage that is full of technology. It follows it’s owner to allow you to use your hands for other things eg drinking coffee and texting. It has sensors in the handle to manage proximity and navigation. By following the same path it should be clear and with the sensors it shouldn’t bump into you, or others. Those same sensors will detect when you do grab the handle for “manual mode”, so it can still be used as a traditional luggage case.
The tracking works by the owner wearing a type of bracelet which will also keep the bag unlocked when in range and locked when the owner is not close-by. No combination or padlock required here, but don’t worry – it is TSA approved. The bracelet will also vibrate if you’re getting out of range of your bag, this could be from walking too fast or someone stealing your bag since you aren’t looking.
Speaking of losing this bag, the CowaRobot is fitting with GPS tracking so you’ll be able to find the location of your bag by checking your smartphone. Which you’ll be glad about after spending the $600+ for it.
Since the bag has a battery built-in, CowaRobot can also be used to charge your USB products eg phone, tablet, Kindle… anything. The battery is also removable which you’ll likely need to do at a bag check.
In terms of stability, the bag has six wheels underneath it, has the capacity for 32 litres of stuff and surprisingly only weighs 5kg. We expected it to be heavier than that.
More info: cowarobot.com
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