娇色导航

Luggage is long overdue for some serious innovation. The last big breakthrough — wheeled suitcases — rolled out in 1970. Crowdfunded startups and established luggage companies seem to have suddenly realized the market opportunity, and they are adding Wi-Fi hot spots, Bluetooth, SIM cards, GPS and built-in batteries to their products.

One of the most tantalizing promises of “smart luggage” is the potential to track bags throughout your journeys, in case a parcel goes AWOL. These new luggage tracking systems are generally designed to shut down when your bag is stored onboard a plane and then turn on again upon landing, to meet regulations that govern the use of wireless technology during flights.

It’s too soon to tell if self-tracking luggage is just a gimmick or a true travel breakthrough, because few of these futuristic bags are publicly available. Still, it may be prudent to wait a few months before you buy your next bag … just in case.

Veteran luggage maker Samsonite is collaborating with Samsung to develop smart luggage that’s “more than a gimmick,” according to Samsonite CEO Ramesh Tainwala, who spoke to the U.K.’s . In addition to bag-tracking tech, Samsonite’s smart bags will send owners alerts if they’re are opened. Samsonite is working on “self-propelled” luggage that automatically trails its owner at a distance of six inches — no more pushing a heavy bag. The company is also building a bag that checks itself in at airports, as part of a partnership with the airlines Emirates, Lufthansa and KLM Air France. Finally, Samsonite’s GeoTrackR line, due sometime this year, will feature a LugLoc tracking system.