WORLD
'Smart' suitcase can be checked in at home and tracked with iPhone
Baku, June 20 (AZERTAC). Air passengers may never again need to check or pick up baggage at the airport or worry about losing it if a new "smart" suitcase technology from Airbus gets off the ground.
Bag2Go is an "intelligent suitcase" that is equipped with a smartchip and location-based technology that store a passenger`s flight information and allow the bag to be checked in and picked up independently of the passenger and to be tracked from departure to its destination.
The technology is a combination of a radio-frequency identification chip, mobile phone technology and GPS.
The suitcase prototype, which is being previewed at the International Pairs Air Show next week, was created by aircraft manufacturer Airbus together with German technology company T-Systems, a division of Deutsche Telekom, and luggage maker Rimowa.
Flight data is entered into a display on the suitcase via an iPhone app and is transmitted to the airline, which generates a bar code that is sent back to the ‘smart’ unit on the suitcase. A unique bar code is created for each flight and contains the flight details along with information such as the weight of the suitcase and the name and contact details of the owner.
"This data allows the suitcase to go travelling independently of its owner, right to the destination — even if flights are changed or cancelled at short notice, or a connecting flight is not made," T-Systems said in a press release.
The software in the suitcase can also register whether the bag has been opened en route and informs the owner when and where this occurred. The bag also has a wireless scale that syncs up with your smartphone allowing you to check its weight simply by lifting the bag`s handle.
The ability to check in bags remotely means airlines and logistics companies will be able offer a Bag2Go pickup and drop-off service, the creators said. Passengers will no longer have to check their bags in at the airport or wait around for them at the baggage carousel but will be able to rent a Bag2Go that can be checked in and dropped off at their home or hotel.