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Smart Luggage Re-Design That Addresses Modern-Day Needs: The Trunkster

By Rain Noe - November 27, 2014

in Object Culture | Kickstarter

One could argue that luggage design hasn't kept pace with modern-day travel needs. Thus entrepreneurs Gaston Blanchet and Jesse Potash, both of whom travel a lot and were dissatisfied with current luggage offerings, set out to produce a contemporary, aluminum-and-polycarbonate carry-on and full-sized suitcase called the Trunkster line. Here's how they approached it:

Problem: Your phone battery's dying, leading you on one of those where's-a-free-power-outlet search across the airport. Solution: On-board battery with enough juice to charge your phone nine times over.

Problem: You packed too much weight and got hit with overage fees by the airline. Solution: Digital scale (both Imperial and Metric) embedded in the handle. Pick it up and the readout tells you the exact weight.

Problem: The airline lost your bag. They're not sure where it is. Solution: Built-in GPS means you can see whether your bag is somewhere in the terminal and worth waiting for, or if it's back at Dallas-Fort-Worth and you should just expect it later.

Problem: Unzipping both sides of the front flap on the typical carry-on, then swinging the flap open, can be an awkward operation in tight spaces. Solution: The Trunkster has a roll-top front that opens like a secretary desk.

I'm not totally sold on that last one, as the flap on a carry-on provides me with useful storage space, both on the inside and out of it. The outside pockets on the flap are where I dump the contents of my pockets during the TSA screening, and the inside pockets are where I sort my toiletries.

Another Trunkster feature I'm not 100% on is that they've moved the handle supports to the side of the suitcase, citing the following:

We can think of few worse elements of luggage than flimsy telescopic handles. They break, get in the way of packing, and are nearly useless when moving heavy bags. Trunkster features a robust, side-to-side handle that gives you absolute control and enhanced balance through many grip positions. Plus, the handle's special design allows for an uninterrupted cargo space for optimum packing capacity.

In my eyes, the channel for the handle supports take up the same amount of interior volume on the sides as they do on the rear.But my own minor reservations aside, the Trunkster is clearly an improvement over the current generation of luggage, and the design has proven to be a massive hit on Kickstarter: At press time they were nearly $300,000 over $50,000, with a whopping 50 days left.

Unsurprisingly the early-bird specials are all gone. When the bag hits shelves next year (scheduled for August), the carry-on is expected to retail for $500, while the checked version will go for $600.

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Walter

9 years ago

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Dear Jmiller,

I appreciate your response,

I couldnâ€™t agree more with you. I just donâ€™t know how I could make that happen. Since I did this project for my professional internship class my last semester of school and I am a junior designer. I feel that for the client it is not that important to make an effort to give me more exposure than just putting my name in the kick-starter page, which I certainly appreciate but to be honest I was expecting recognition in other sites as well.

At this point the company is focus on getting exposure for them and their product.

I will post my work in Coroflot and Behance if possible. Is there other venue you would suggest to show the project on?

Thank you again! And happy holidays / felices fiestas!!
Walter Castro

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Jmiller

9 years ago

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To Walter,
Nice work man. It would be nice to see some of the spotlight cast in your direction. I'm sure it will find it's way. Cheers!
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Walter

9 years ago

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To the publisher,

Hello my name is Walter Castro and I am the Industrial Designer who started this project from concept through finalization of the 3D model.
I completed the project according to the requirements of the client (Trunkster) and with the supervision and mentor-ship of Doug Golenz.
I want to thank you for this publication since I am a junior designer and this is great for my career. I will edit my Coroflot page and add this project to it.
If you have any comments/input about the project it would be highly appreciated.

Thank you!
Walter

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