There are few things more stressful than running to catch a flight with a heavy bag in tow. If this scene seems familiar or you’re just tired of walking through busy airports, then a Chicago entrepreneur may have the perfect solution for you.
The Modobag is the world’s first motorized and rideable piece of luggage and it could be seen in airports as early as the end of this year with a general release in 2017.
The Modobag is geared towards adults but the idea came to co-founder Kevin O’Donnell while he was travelling with his children.
“He had a handful of kids with him and a handful of bags and they were traipsing from one end of the airport to the other, when he literally had this ‘aha’ moment, ‘God, wouldn’t this be easier if we had a motor on our luggage?’” Modobag’s head of marketing Tim Ryan told CTV News Channel Friday.
As soon as O’Donnell got off his flight he called up a friend who works with motorcycles and the Modobag was set in motion.
“We’ve been all around the map and through the world on Modobag,” Ryan said. He added it’s been tested in international airports and is compliant with safety regulations.
The Modobag can carry up to 118kg and travel at 8 km/h indoors and nearly 13 km/h outdoors. It’s no race car but certainly beats walking or carrying your own luggage.
The Modobag is functional but above all it’s meant to make travelling fun, O’Donnell said.
In one promotional video on the Indiegogo page, a woman rides her Modobag while wearing heels. In another scene, a man gleefully test drives the Modobag through an obstacle course of pylons in a mall.
The Indiegogo campaign to bring the Modobag to market has already surpassed its USD$50,000 goal with USD$250,000 to date.
The child-like wonder of the Modobag comes with a grown-up price tag. It is USD$995 for early contributors to the Indiegogo campaign and will cost USD$1495 when it is released to a general audience next year. For kids, there is always the rideable but non-motorized Trunki.
