Journeys, especially abroad,   are stressful today. But some smart luggage tech is easing the pain.
Bangalore, June 3 2019:Travel is becoming increasingly tense these days: And if you are taking flights to holiday destinations, it is doubly so at this time of the year.  Security can be stressful and airlines don’t make things any easier, as they tighten weight limits on check-in and carry-on luggage.  But help is at hand – from an unlikely source: the luggage itself! A new breed of travel goods makers, many of them startups, has created what can  best be called Smart Luggage:  backpacks and suit cases which  come pre-fitted with  accessories that buy you some piece of mind.
One of the biggest worries while travelling, is a mobile phone that dies on you because the battery has drained. New-age luggage can help here.  Bags come with an external USB charging port with an inbuilt charging cable that you can connect to a powerbank.  Remember this will only work with bags that are cabin sized – since you can’t check in a power  bank.
Another common problem is identifying your checked in bag as it comes on a belt  with others  of the same make and colour.   Some smart bags come equipped with a tracker that links to your mobile phone via Bluetooth and beeps to alert you when the bag emerges.   The same app can also alert you if the bag moves from your immediate  vicinity  -- if some tries to steal it, while you are dozing in the departure hall. 
 Bag makers, have also  addressed another common hassle:  How much does my bag weigh? Airlines place rigid limits on checked-in bags: exceed the free allowance and every extra kilo can cost you Rs 300 – 600.  Bags where the handle reads out the weight on an LED panel have made their appearance in India ( see Image of the Day)
You can go on and on looking for ways in which technology can make travel smarter, safer, hassle free.  Targus has created a mobile VIP+ backpack, with a  Qi wireless charging dock hidden on the side with a zip-up pocket. It has also incorporated an RFID-blocking pocket, which would prevent credit cards from being skimmed remotely.
The international Rolls Royce of  luggage is a brand called BlueSmart  where the cost could be close to the equivalent of  half a lakh of rupees. It has a built-in SIM and you  can track the bag worldwide anywhere, any time and lock-unlock  the bag remotely from an app.  Globally but not in India, Samsonite has similar tracking technology in its $ 400 web-connected GeoTrakR bags
More affordably in India, you can find a range of ‘Atlantis’  17 inch – 22 inch smart bags from 3G on most e-biz sites for around Rs 3000 – Rs 5000, all with USB ports.
And this month,  William Penn, the lifestyle accessory company has launched a solar powered  backpack called  Kingsons Beam Pack,  which holds up to 9 watts power with a peak output of 1.7 amps. It costs Rs 18,000.
This story  has appeared in ACE/EFY. Read here