Barracuda wants to be THE road warrior's smart carry-on

Know what's the next thing after your bulb that's about to get smart? Your luggage. Smart carry-ons seem to be catching on. Even the likes of Samsung and Samsonite are said to be working together to make that a reality as well. And while we've seen our fair share of such smart bags, especially on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, Barracuda thinks it can top all that. And it might just make it if the outpouring of dollars over at its Kickstarter campaign is any indication of that.

The Barracuda is the "world's first fully-collapsible hardside carry-on with built-in tray, GPS, ergonomic swivel handle and a distinctive design." That practically summarizes its core features, though it does leave out the part that it has one (now actually two thanks to the stretch goal) USB ports for charging devices. Or the hidden laptop tray. So yes, Barracuda does promise everything that other smart carry-ons say, but might even be more perfect for someone always on the go.

For one, the Barracuda gets out of your way when you don't need it, almost literally. This means that the luggage can be collapsed to a height of 4 inches when not in use, so you can discreetly stow it away anywhere you have that much space. But in case that made you doubt the quality of the material, the carry-on is made of ballistic nylon, polycarbonate, and aircraft grade aluminum for good measure.

The handle of the luggage is a bit of ergonomic genius that makes you wonder why other luggages aren't made that way. Instead of a rigid horizontal bar that you can only hold in a fixed position, the Barracuda has a ring that twists and turn to your comfort so that you won't strain your wrist too much. The cover of the carry-on is also built for comfort. It has a flap that can open only half way through so you don't have to fully unzip the whole cover just to reach for something, which will take up more space than you might have available.

And for those who are always working on their laptops wherever they can sit down, the handle of the Barracuda hides a collapsible laptop tray whose height can also be adjusted to your comfort. The location tracking is a bit interesting, as it doesn't employ GPS, which does hvae some rather hard "open skies" requirement. Instead, it uses cellular networks (a combination of GSM and GPRS) to locate your carry-on. And if you're within range, it can also use Bluetooth LE to give you even more exact information.

Yes, the Barracuda is almost perfect for geeks on the go. Except for the fact that it's still on Kickstarter. There is no doubt that it will get funded, because it now stands at a little over $616,000, when it was looking for only $20,000. Whether they are able to deliver come the promised November 2015 date, however, is an entirely different question.

SOURCE: Kickstarter