Let us be purely fanciful for a moment and imagine that we have been given the task of designing the kinds of luggage that travellers will be using sometime in the undetermined future. In the ideal world with science and technology blazing a path through all our lives, how would it help us to see scientists address some of the more basic desires of the average tourist?



For those of us still excited by the advent of wheels at the bottom of a suitcase, perhaps we could imagine the science of Star Trek built in to the average suitcase. Rather than wheels, perhaps the suitcase could float on a cushion of air, or even perhaps, some sort of anti gravity disks built into the base? Any technique at all that helps to decrease the weight or struggle of a case can only be a good thing. Perhaps if we have such science in the future we could forget the bag altogether, because by that time we shall be able to compress our luggage so that the average suitcase will fold up small enough to pop in our pocket.

The fact that should technology have advanced to this point means that it is unlikely we would all be boarding a great cumbersome plane to go on holiday is merely being cynical, since we are here being purely fanciful.

Perhaps suitcases which are not merely a great cavern of space into which our lives are thrown in random fashion, but instead, more of a giant folder, with a dozen or so sleeves into which our organised lives can be slid in equally organised fashion, helping to separate items and allow for easy access.

Perhaps it would also be handy to have built into the handle of the case a kind of sensor which is picked up by a key fob in our possession, so that rather than waiting for hours or your case to arrive along the conveyor belt with other baggage, your key fob beeps as your case arrives, and perhaps the handle of the case could even be programmed to flash to draw attention towards it.

This could even work the other way around, and to help with security the sensor and fob could work as a proximity alarm. This would mean that should your bag be removed from your possession without your knowledge, the key fob would detect the case once it is a set distance from you, and sound an alarm on both the case and your fob. Certainly this is likely to assist the security guards, since tracking down a case that is sounding an alarm is easier than one which is silent and looks just like everybody else's.

We have been told that fridges of the future will be able to monitor their own contents, and advise us if we are running low on, say, milk. Perhaps the luggage of tomorrow will advise us if we have not packed our passport, tickets and other essential items? Frankly, why don't we just ask those nice scientists to develop a suitcase which packs itself with complete accuracy, folds up into the size of a packet of cards, weighs nothing, and ensures all our clothes arrive in pristine condition. It's not much to ask, is it?