This Robotic Suitcase Can Follow You Around the Airport

Travelmate promises to make at least one aspect of airports a little easier.

From delayed flights to long lines, the journey to a favorite destination is not always a relaxing one. But a California start-up wants to make life a little bit easier for frequent travelers.

Travelmate Robotics, based out of California, is raising money on Indiegogo to create a robotic suitcase that will use artificial intelligence to automatically follow its owner.

The “fully autonomous robot suitcase” can navigate through crowds and around obstacles, freeing travelers' hands for the important things in life, like coffee.

“Think of taking Tesla's autopilot and putting it into a suitcase, except it goes a step further because it's fully autonomous and adjusts to your speed on the fly,” the company said in a statement.

The robotic suitcase will follow its owner around by tracking the location of their smartphone and rolling along at a top speed of 6.75 miles per hour. The luggage can roll on its side or vertically and stays within 3-5 feet of the smartphone it is synced to, CNN Money reported.

At the time of publication, Travelmate had raised 5 percent of its $100,000 goal with five days left in their campaign. CEO David Near told CNN Money that if the company does not achieve its goal, they will seek investments through traditional routes and are still planning on releasing the product by the summer of 2017.

Interested travelers can preorder a suitcase on Indiegogo for $399.

If Travelmate reaches its fundraising goals, it won't be the first robotic suitcase on the market. The Cowarobot R1, produced by a Chinese company, offers its own autonomous suitcase that bases location off of a bracelet.