This Smart Suitcase is Designed to Climb Up and Down Stairs

When it comes to choosing the best piece of luggage for any type of trip, wheels are pretty much essential. While a rolling suitcase can do wonders in lessening the stress you put on your body when you're forced to drag your luggage from Point A to Point B, there's one place where all the wheels in the world won't help you: a steep staircase (or worse: a broken escalator). This is where TraxPack comes in.

The brainchild of longtime friends Naisha Joseph and Richard Braddock, this smart carry-on is being billed as the "world's first stair climbing suitcase," which makes it sound like a traveling Transformer, but the idea is much simpler: the roller bag has a dual track system ("similar to a tank's," according to its creators) built into the back of the bag, which allows you to pull it up and down stairs with relatively little effort.

"The tracks are not motorized, so the bag won't do all the work for you," says Mashable of the bag, which is in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign, "but the weight of the packed suitcase creates friction against the edges of the stairs, turning what would otherwise be a heavy lift into a smooth one." But that may not even be the bag's smartest feature.

In addition to the track system, TraxPack — which can be pre-ordered with a $198 pledge — features a tilting handle that gives you total control of the bag's maneuverability. There's also a built-in scale, so you know just how much you've packed and won't be surprised by additional "special handling" fees at the airport. Just below the handle, there's a removable dual battery charger (complete with LED flashlight), so that your devices will always be fully charged — the handle even tilts in such a way that it works as a mobile device stand for your phone or tablet.

And if you lose track of this state-of-the-art suitcase? A baggage positioning system will alert your smartphone if your TraxPack happens to wander. If only it could make that security line disappear!

H/T: Mashable

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