There’s something cool about automated machinery, especially stuff that appears to mind read our needs. Maybe that’s why we’re all impatiently waiting for some neat android robots which we can order around and show off with. Unfortunately the I, Robot world is still a way away, but in the meantime we can enjoy the fruits of some of our tech designer’s fertile imaginations.

Hop, for instance, is a rather splendid example of a suitcase which most of us would be happy to use. The carry-on sized bag is equipped with a set of tracks to aid in movement, as well as a bunch of sensors which are tied to the owner’s smartphone. The result is the case follows you wherever you go, just like an obedient puppy.

You can see the drawbacks straight away of course. How much weight can it take, what will it do with stairs, what happens when the batteries run out?…etc etc. We would also be rather worried about theft. The idea of our carry-on valuables lurking some feet behind us in a crowded airport sounds like a recipe for disaster, unless there’s some clever alarm system embedded in the product.

But overall we can see this sort of thing becoming much more of a reality as the technology improves, especially if the same technology can be used to help us move shopping bags around from place to place as well. [Via]