Editor's note:

The rapid pace of innovation has now spread to the luggage industry. Travelers have been offered a new experience with smart luggage that can track its location, weighs itself and charge smartphones in a revolution aimed at making their trips hassle-free and smoother.

With the broadening application of the Internet of Things, every daily object around us - from a light bulb to a fridge - is likely to be linked for more efficient communication and valuable information.

Alejo Verlini believes luggage should be no exception.

Verlini is a co-founder of Bluesmart, which makes smart luggage that can track its location, weighs itself and charges smartphones. The Argentinean designer and serial entrepreneur is based in Hong Kong as the company's head of design and products.

He believes the luggage industry has been long overdue for innovation since its last major revolution - adding wheels to suitcases, which was patented in 1972.

"We felt that, with all the amazing technology we have today, we could reinvent luggage for the 21st century and, from there, really enhance the travel experience."

Investors, as well as tech-savvy travelers, have shown keen interest in the idea too. Late in 2015, Bluesmart raked in $11.5 million through its recent round of funding after having raised $2.2 million in a crowdfunding exercise the year before.

The carry-on size suitcase, priced at $399, features a built-in scale that shows the exact weight of the baggage on the smartphone app, and can be locked and unlocked via the smartphone. Users can also recharge their smartphones with the built-in battery charger in the suitcase.

Bluesmart also has a location tracking system that notifies users when the luggage is left behind, and allows them to retrieve their bags if they are misplaced by the airline after having checked in.

It can work as a travel assistant for the road warriors by tracking the air miles and offering trip notifications.

"Adding electronic capability and communications to baggage makes a lot of sense The goal is to improve the travel experience," Frank Gillett, an analyst at Forrester Research, was quoted as saying in the New York Times.

The luggage industry recognizes this nascent and growing trend.

"The so-called Internet of Things has yet to saturate our industry, but its first waves are licking at our feet. Travel items are definitely getting smarter. It used to be that technology accommodation meant an integrated cell pouch and tablet pocket, but we're well past that," the US Travel Goods Association's Garrett Lai reported in mid-2015.

Connected travel accessories, such as luggage locks that can track location or are secured with fingerprint, are also among the first round of innovations that have steered the industry into the smart age.

Bluesmart, which started shipping its products in August this year and has delivered more than 12,000 suitcases to its crowdfunding backers worldwide by the end of 2015, is one of the world's first integrated smart suitcases available on the market.

In the mean time, established luggage makers attempt to keep up with the trend. For instance, Samsonite Group, a US luggage manufacturer, introduced a new line of connected baggage with location trackers this year, while Rimowa, a luxury German luggage brand, is developing its baggage tagging technology in association with French aircraft maker Airbus.

Verlini believes that, as a tech-centric and fast-moving startup, Bluesmart can outpace the industry giants whose organizations can be too big to innovate.

"Smart luggage is something very new to luggage companies. We see brands announcing they're trying to connect their luggage, but it's very challenging for them, and that's where a startup can be disruptive because we have a quicker way of executing things," he says.

Bluesmart did grow at a fast pace in a span of two years, considering the fruitful results it has reaped.

The idea came about when Verlini and four of his longtime friends and business associates - all seasoned entrepreneurs and frequent travelers - decided that they need a newfangled travel gear to make their trips smoother.

They started research and development in April last year. By October that year, the five co-founders, who were then still involved in their old jobs, had only gathered in the same room once.

"We worked every day and had meetings in every possible continent (through) a lot of conference calls because we had our own work to take care of," Verlini recalls.

The team finally came together before launching the crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo in October 2014, which became a huge success with $2.2 million raised.

The company, headquartered in San Francisco, subsequently set up its production team in Hong Kong in December last year for easier access to its manufacturing base in the Pearl River Delta to help cope with the huge demand.

Currently with a total staff strength of 26, Bluesmart has six people working in Hong Kong on manufacturing engineering and operation.

"The moment we landed in Hong Kong, we found a lot of access to manufacturing developments," Verlini recalls. "Suddenly, we realize we were moving faster than ever on the hardware challenges, where most of the startups fail."

iris@chinadailyhk.com 

(HK Edition 12/31/2015 page11)