If there is a little-known idea that has changed the world of travel, it is the suitcase on wheels that appeared exactly at the time of the development of mass tourism. And if his interest is obvious. What intrigues me is its late discovery and popularization.
The wheel, this essential invention dates from the dawn of time, historians argue about the exact period of its creation. Some like the Sumerians, more than 3000 years BC, others like Central Europe a few centuries earlier. So, a vital and ancient invention that revolutionized the world and the way transportation was conceived.
The suitcase has existed for a long time. It was often a luxury item reserved for the elite.
A question haunts me. Why did you wait so long to combine suitcase and wheels?
Several inventors dispute the authorship of this extraordinary invention.
It seems that it was Delsey, a French manufacturer who in 1972 introduced the first concept of a suitcase with wheels: « the Airstyle. « It was a great step for man and for humanity. The beginning of a long journey for the suitcase before it can impose itself.
The object of my second question, why did this luminous invention take so long to become widespread? Patent problem? Cost?
But, at least in this area, imagination is in power. Not only has the suitcase on wheels become totally democratic and, above all, it has even become technological.
It can be extensible, and switch from a click of the carry-on mode to that of checked baggage.
They can be joined together to roll together, pulled by a single person and separated with a simple click. Or have brakes to stop their race. You can’t stop progress.
Today, the case is connected, an invention from Argentina with options to give complex to a modern car: GPS, integrated scale, distance counter, proximity sensor, electronic lock, USB plug to recharge your electronic devices. The plus is that you can put clothes inside.
Hispanics are definitely showing imagination as evidenced by the « Hop » suitcase created by Rodrigo Garcia, a Spaniard. She uses a phone to steer herself and follows you like a little dog. It stops at a standstill and vibrates strongly as soon as it has lost its master.
A useful gift for the elderly or those with low back pain.
The neo trolley is also a means of transport. You can ride it and travel 10 km at 13 km/h. The Chinese even invented the scooter case.
The other side of the coin, they weigh heavily. So, beware of excess baggage, or carry a minimum of items. And then, they cost a small fortune, sometimes more than the price of the plane ticket. A real paradox. But, the present time is not one more.
Anyway, I am convinced of the intelligence of the trolley case principle. An invention which allowed the transformation of the traveller formerly Syphise, condemned to carry his heavy suitcases endlessly, into Icarus, become free thanks to the wheels. But be careful, the sun is never far on holiday.
François Teyssier