Before autonomous car hits mainstream, test hop the self-driving suitcase

LAS VEGAS – Self-driving cars may take a while to arrive, but the self-driving suitcase is here now. Some of the technologies used in autonomous cars have been adapted in products unveiled at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, to help travelers with the weighty problem of dealing with baggage. The "robot suitcase" from California-based startup Travelmate can be controlled with a smartphone app and can roll alongside its owner at speeds up to 11 kph (6.8 mph), navigating around obstacles. "This is really a robot which follows you around," said Travelmate founder and President Maximillian Kovtun. Travelmate designed the device -- which integrates elements of artificial intelligence -- to roll at a pace that matches that of the user, or it can be directed with the smartphone app in the same manner as a drone.