Plevo Kickstarts New Line of Connected Duffel Bags and Backpacks

Plevo is hoping to expand its smart luggage portfolio with a new Kickstarter campaign for connected duffel bags and connected backpacks. Both the D-One Series (the duffel bags) and the B-One Series (the backpacks) will come in two different sizes, and allow travelers to unlock their luggage with Morse Code or a fingerprint recognition scan.   

The new offerings are compatible with Plevo’s Travel Companion App, which can be accessed with a facial recognition scan on a standard smartphone and connects to the Smart Lock on the D-One and B-One products. Owners can unlock their bag through the app, giving them an alternative way to access their belongings if a fingerprint scan seems like too much of a hassle.

In addition to the Smart Lock utility, the Travel Companion App includes several other features designed to make travel more convenient. For instance, the app will notify the owner if the bag moves too far away from the phone it’s linked to, which prevents users from forgetting their bags and gives an advance warning in the case of theft. The app can also be used to check flight status at the airport.

Like Plevo’s previous offerings, the D-One and B-One lines come with a removable battery pack that makes it easy to charge other mobile devices while on the go. The cheapest of the bags will normally retail for $240, although early backers can grab a bag at a 40 percent discount. The Smart Lock is compliant with the latest TSA, FAA, DOT, and IATA specifications.

Of course, Plevo is not the only company making inroads in the smart luggage market. Fingerprint Cards provided a fingerprint sensor for a smart suitcase from 90FUN, for example. More recently, Hampton released a biometric BenjiLock designed explicitly for travel, while ZiiLock ran its own crowdfunding campaign for a biometric bike lock.

Source: Yanko Design