IoT Technology Lets You Track Your Luggage

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The Tumi Global Locator is designed to help you keep track of luggage and travel bags in real time.

How IoT Lets  You Track Lost LuggageOne of the biggest worries when traveling is whether your luggage will make it to your destination with you. In 2016, more than 21.6 million bags were mishandled, equating to 5.7 lost bags per 1,000 passengers.

Travel lifestyle brand Tumi and AT&T are teaming up to do something about it. They’ve announced the launch of the Tumi Global Locator, a wireless tracking device designed to use Internet of Things technology  to provide travelers with location-specific positioning information regarding the whereabouts of their luggage and travel bags.

[ Related: IoT Puts Emphasis Back on Hardware and Form Factors ]

“We understand that one of the most stressful part of any journey is the risk of losing your luggage, be that temporarily or permanently. The goal of the Tumi Global Locator is to make this a concern of the past, giving our customers a peace of mind and ensuring a more enjoyable travel experience. Tumi’s Global Locator embodies all this with the focus on safeguarding our customers’ belongings,” said Rob Cooper, General Manager, North America, Tumi.

Track your luggage in real time

The device uses GPS, GSM, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology to track the location of the luggage or bag it is placed in. The device delivers real-time data, via the free mobile application available for both Android and iOS devices. Through its Accelerometer sensor technology, the Global Locator operates with four alternative modes: Travel Mode, Sleep Mode, Hotel Mode and Proximity.

  • Travel Mode: Automatically tracks a bag’s location every 20-30 minutes and builds a history of where a bag has been.
  • Sleep Mode: To adhere to FCC regulations the device enters sleep mode during flight. Once the plane has landed, the device automatically wakes up and sends a notification with the location of the bag it is in.
  • Hotel Mode: This allows you to ensure the bag containing the Global Locator stays in one location, by recognizing the designated location as its ‘Home Base’. The Tumi Global Locator will then alert the user if the bag is moved.
  • Proximity Mode: This uses Bluetooth technology to allow you to tether the bag containing the Tumi Global Locator to a connected device, such as a mobile phone. If unexpected movement occurs, the mobile device is instantly alerted.

The Tumi Global Locator is available for $200 in Tumi stores and online at Tumi’s website. This price includes one year of wireless location tracking service.

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Sue Walsh

About Sue Walsh

Sue Walsh is News Writer for RTInsights, and a freelance writer and social media manager living in New York City. Her specialties include tech, security and e-commerce. You can follow her on Twitter at @girlfridaygeek.

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