A team of Rochester Institute of Technology students has created a system that allows travelers to get real-time updates on the location of their luggage by way of an embedded device in their suitcase.
Angela Corrado, one of the team members, explains their solution to one of the traveler's worst nightmares.
"We were working on designing a GPS enabled luggage system that would come with an app. So the user would be able to sync up their smart phone and use the app to track their belongings wherever they were traveling to," she said.
The device will send users hourly updates on the location of their luggage, and travel information can be entered that would prompt alerts if their belongings stray off route.
Corrado and three other students won first place for their idea at RIT's innovation competition, Shark Tank.
She says the judges gave them some valuable feedback on their product, including a suggestion that they sell the tracking device separately rather than embedding it in a suitcase, making it more affordable.
The team has already been approached by interested investors and they're in the process of working out how to move forward to bring their product to the market.
