Rideable carry-on luggage gets you to gate three times faster
Aug 5, 2016, 5:13 AM | Updated: 9:33 pm
Starting in January, air travelers can ride their carry-on luggage from curb to gate.
The new technology is called Modobag. It’s the world’s first, motorized, rideable luggage. The battery-powered suitcase reaches a top speed of eight miles per hour in its outdoor setting. The top indoor speed is five miles per hour. It’s equipped with handlebars for steering, as well as a thumb throttle and brakes. It fits in the overhead bin and has about 85 percent of the normal storage space of a regular carry-on suitcase.
“It basically gets you to your destination three times faster than walking,” said Kevin O’Donnell, the founder and owner of Modobag. “You can be the last one off the plane, but the first one through customs.”
He said it can also be used in train stations, college campuses, convention centers, even to run errands. The bag is TSA and FAA approved, with a battery that O’Donnell said is safer than that of an extended life laptop. It also has USB ports, allowing you to charge your phone or tablet while riding or waiting at the gate.
“It’s the perfect time to have this product come out, because we needed everything to be so compact and so efficient and so safe,” O’Donnell said.
The suitcase rides like a bike, and O’Donnell said it’s easy to learn right from the get go. The rideable luggage retails for $1,495, but is being offered for $995 on IndieGoGo for the next two weeks. The suitcases will be shipped to customers starting in January 2017.
