The future of the way that we do travel might have just hit the
market. Raden, a "smart luggage" producer has created a suitcase that
revolutionizes the way that human beings transport their belongings. They are
currently selling two suitcase models, one "carry" and one “check", for
$295 and $395 on their website, respectively.
The first thing that jumped out to me when
examining Raden was the plethora of useful features that come with the purchase
of the suitcase itself. For example, the suitcase can charge your phone in a
port that is built in to the top of the model. Also, the next generation bag
weighs itself upon being lifted off the ground, so that fees for overweight luggage officially
become a thing of the past. Finally, the smart suitcase is equipped with a
compact battery on the inside which is capable of being removed if someone is
looking to further cut down on the weight of their baggage.
Also, the Raden app, which
you can download on your iPhone or Android mobile device, allows you to track
your luggage in real time through Bluetooth technologies. This amazing
innovation takes away the hassle of trying to miraculously locate your luggage
at airports, or worse, trying to find luggage that has been lost by the airline. The
Raden app also takes it a step further, sending you alert messages when your
bag is coming out of the carousel in real time. Finally, the feature that
provides users information on TSA wait lines can be particularly helpful when
it comes to planning how much time a person must allocate to the screening
process in advance of their flight. Features like these make the Raden app and suitcase a must have for frequent fliers who often find themselves victim of
many or all of these common inconveniences.
An additional thing that I found interesting about Raden was the
unique design of their product. The emphasis on efficiency and sleekness goes
hand in hand with their cutting edge technology. This is evident in the specs
of the bag which weighs a mere 7.5 pounds, and comes in a variety of attractive
colors. Finally, something that really stood out to me was that through the
Raden app, you have the ability to call an Uber to pick you up from the airport.
It is this kind of exceptional attention to detail that really makes this
particular bag the future of an individual's travel experience.
Two
specific things that I feel my article failed to address were how Raden is to
market their product to consumers and also how they are going to increase
profit margins. These two things could go hand in hand, for example if Raden is
able to get their suitcase to large retailers, interested customers will be
exposed to the product, driving up sales for the smart luggage brand.
Article: http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/29/technology/startup-raden-smart-luggage/index.html
Raden's Website: https://www.raden.com/products/a28-check?color=black
This is a very interesting new product. The technology incorporated not only into the actual piece of luggage, but into the application, makes this product up to date with new technology systems and uses. Using a tracking system allows for the baggage to be easily located by the user, helping track down a possible theft or lost luggage. I also found it interesting that this product also includes a variety of other services, making it a smart technology. With this baggage and the related app, one can get a variety of information to help make his trip easier. He can charge his phone, know how much his bag weighs before even going to the airport, track his baggage, and even order an uber for his travels. I found this very interesting because when one thinks of smart devices, iPhones, computers, and other electronic devices come to mind. I believe that this will be a very successful product and that more companies should follow in these footsteps in order to keep up with the technologically advanced world and be successful.
ReplyDeleteDean, I agree with you when you say this will change the way luggage is looked at and used. A few questions I had after reading the article was do both the carry on and check in bag have the phone charging port? I see the future as useless for the check in bag as you won't even have it with you to use once you check the bag in. Also the app has certain features like tsa estimated times and ability to call an uber which can sometimes be difficult with certain airport uber restrictions. Is a consumer able to use these two features without owning any Raden luggage? Additionally you mentioned the ability to take the battery out to reduce weight. How much does the battery weigh? Is it rechargeable and how long does it last? If I am taking an overseas flight will the bluetooth and tracking be able to keep enough battery power for tracking once I have landed and am waiting for my luggage? Additionally, if the battery is that heavy that I would need to in some cases remove it, then what is the purpose of having the luggage besides to weigh the bag? Once I remove the battery all my tracking features are not available I am assuming. The concept of the bag and app are a great idea, however I think Raden will need to refine their concept before it is a big seller.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is a new innovative product, but does the price outweigh its positive aspects? Yes, it may have a charging port, but airports and even airplanes provide outlets for travelers to use while they are waiting or in-flight. I do agree that the tracking system allows for easy identification and tracking down luggage is it is sent to another location. This may alert the traveler, but it does not change the fact that their luggage is missing, which is known to happen in certain circumstances. I am curious however about the battery in the luggage and how that will affect the weight as well. I think that the company has a way to go to make this affordable to more consumers. I believe that they should target consistent business travelers, and allow them a trial period of some sort to see how well the product truly does work. This would allow them to test the product over multiple trips, rather than a one-time use. I think another issue is how long the battery and tracking device lasts, while in flight. What happens when someone has a 16hour flight and their luggage battery dies? How will they find it if they can no longer track it, or even if their phone dies while they’re in flight. These are just a few problems that the company must identify. I think if the company can reduce the price and address these problems, that the product will be very successful.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think the Raden “smart luggage” is an excellent idea. I think all travelers are going to be interested in this product, and it is going to be a must have for frequent travelers. These new suitcases are going to make flying an overall easier and more enjoyable experience. One of the beneficial features of this suitcase is the phone charger port, and I think this will make flying much more convenient. Especially during long flights, phones tend to die during travel. And instead of having to fight other flyers for the few outlets that are provided, anyone with the suitcase can ensure a way to charge their phone at all times. Another significant feature is the fact that the suitcase weighs itself when it gets picked off the ground. Many times when traveling, people are worried about their luggage being over the weight limit. Flyers have to wait patiently to weigh their bags and see if they pass, and if they don’t, they have to open up their suitcase and start ripping things out to find a new way to get everything to the destination. This feature will make flyers feel more comfortable while flying because they won’t have to worry about the weight of their luggage.
ReplyDeleteThis suitcase gets even better when you use the Raden app with it. By using the app, the user can track their luggage. This allows users to easily find and retrieve their luggage when it comes out of the carrousel because the app alerts the user. Waiting for your luggage at the carrousel is always an anxious and annoying process, however, this app will make that process improve tremendously. In addition, if someone’s luggage was to be lost by the airline, the user could figure out where the luggage was by using the app. Even though it is not a common occurrence, everyone does get a little worried that all of their belongings will somehow get lost while they are flying, however, with this app it is no longer an issue.
Overall, I think this product is excellent and is going to bring Raden tremendous amounts of revenue. I can’t imagine why any flyer would not want this suitcase and app because they will make the process of flying so much easier and comforting. In addition, now that Raden has released this, other companies will try to match them and use their own technology to create similar designs. And before you know it, everyone is going to have one of these advanced suitcases that improve the flying process. I think Raden has created the beginning of the next era of air travel.
I find this innovation to be extremely magnificent and interesting. The product fulfils some of the major needs of travellers such as checking the weight of their luggage before arriving at the airport and charging their phones. I myself, I'm a frequent traveller and I've had the difficulties of estimating whether my luggage was overweight and with the long waits at the airport, it is useful to have a portable charging device for the different mobile devices. I however found the prices for their luggage to be quite expensive, especially the carry-on and I have heard of a similar product that although does not offer all those services but is able to self-weigh. It would be interesting to know its possible competitors and how it plans to succeed over the competitors that may offer lower prices.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting product and has some great features. However, my main concern with this product is that when it is empty it already weighs 7.5 pounds already. I understand that all these cool features can enhance the travel process however, the suitcase that I have now weighs less than two pounds empty. Personally, I am an over packer and I would much rather have the less cool suitcase where I can fit more items in it than have to worry about going over 50 pounds with less items of clothing. However, even though this suitcase is not for me, I see the benefits that this product has. I think it is a really good innovation that they are using it to help track the luggage if it gets lost. I have had experiences in the past where my luggage was gone for a whole week on my way back to the states from Italy. If this product could be produced at a lighter weight I would definitely consider purchasing it for that specific use.
ReplyDeleteThis "smart luggage" introduced by Raden can be very beneficial. I'm just curious as to how this product might be marketed, like you said. First of all, the fact that you can charge your phone, just by using the suitcase is very helpful. However, I would be concerned about the port being damaged or the bag being too bulky to keep it next to you while you charge your phone. Also, one thing that I found to be a potential issue is the fact that you can use the Raden app with Bluetooth. It may be tough to get a strong Bluetooth signal in an airport and many features of the app, which can be very helpful, will not work. One thing that really stood out to me and I liked about the Raden app is that you can call an uber from the airport it to pick you up there. This feature can help create more success for Raden and Uber. Overall, this product has a litany of features that can be very beneficial to customers, however, certain features of this new design need to be tweaked in order for this "smart luggage" to be very successful.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very good idea but I do think there are some problems that they are going to face. The fist thing I think is the price. You can get a normal bag of luggage for much cheaper and still have the ability to weigh it and do many of the other things that are featured. I know if I am taking a flight I always weigh my bag. Some of the other features are definitely unique but I'm not so sure they are worth the price. Additionally, 7.5 pounds is relatively heavy for a suitcase. You are going to have less room to pack. You mentioned that the battery does come out but in that case does it still preform all of it's functions of weighing ect? I doubt it. Why not just have a normal bag for a fraction of the cost? I really do think this is a good idea but Raden needs to put some more thought into making it more efficient.
ReplyDelete