(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- The Puppy 1 is a 20-inch-high, 50-pound-capacity, remote-controlled suitcase. It uses sensors to balance itself on two wheels and follow its owner at as fast as 10 mph for about 30 miles on a single charge of its removable lithium-ion battery. The plastic hard-shell suitcase weighs just a few pounds when empty.
Innovator
Clark WuAge: 28Product manager at Mi Ecosystem, a division of Chinese luggage maker Shanghai Runmi Technology Co.
Origin
Wu, who received a master’s in media design at the University of the Arts London, began working on the Puppy 1 in 2016 after specializing in user-interface design at Runmi. Much of the balancing technology comes from partner Segway Inc.
① Balance
Unlike smart luggage that needs four or six wheels to stay balanced, the Puppy 1’s two wheels help it accelerate quickly to keep up with its owner.
② Use
The suitcase can be summoned via remote control or smartphone from about 60 feet. With its battery removed, it doubles as a carry-on approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Other features
The suitcase includes a fingerprint-scanning lock, as well as exterior lights that can be toggled to make it more visible. A flexible screen flashes crying or alarm emojis to tell its owner the battery is low—or to alert passersby if it’s being stolen.
Price
The company says U.S. customers should expect to pay about $500 when the Puppy 1 goes on sale in November.
Next Steps
Mi Ecosystem says it’s negotiating to distribute the Puppy 1 through Amazon.com Inc. and Best Buy Co. Wu, meanwhile, says he’s working on a larger suitcase and a backpack that can charge electronics with solar power. Dan Ridsdale, an analyst at Edison Investment Research Ltd., says the Segway technology is what sets the Puppy 1 apart, but he warns that the demo unit appears to have trouble staying upright even when not in a crowded airport. “As a product category,” he says, “it looks as if there are plenty of challenges to get through before [the bags] become mainstream.”
To contact the author of this story: Adam Popescu in Washington at adampopescu@gmail.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Howard Chua-Eoan at hchuaeoan@bloomberg.net, Jeff Muskus
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