2025
Travel light they say, but how many times have we resented on the baggage fees that were incurred on us every time we board a flight and how many times have be begrudge on the weight of the bag we had to lug along not to mention the wait at the carousel to claim our bags and the storage space that we need to stash our belongings when we travel. Being an international student and a petite girl, I have the first-hand experience and lugging a big bag and carrying a backpack requires too much energy and it makes me hungry fast, not a pleasant idea. So now, I would like to propose an idea that is in accordance with the critical design concept that will make our lives more effortless. I introduce you, the ProLug, a portable universal storage with projector.
ProLug will have a sleek smart-phone size design and a small projector located on the upper edge of the device just like where the iPhone lock button is. The idea of ProLug is to be a small and lightweight device that has a large storage capacity where you can store literally anything you wish. But first, you will have to convert all your items into digital files in binary forms by projecting a scanning ray over each item with the in-built projector. While the item is being scanned, the concrete particles of the item will be translated into binary numbers that will be stored in the device and thus the whole object will disappear once the ray touches it and be transferred into the storage space. The stored items can be categorized into groups, for example, clothes, books, shoes, furniture etc. Basically, one can scan anything and store it in ProLug and bring it along when they travel. When you wish to retrieve an item from your device, select the item from the categories on the screen just like how one would use his or her touch-screen smart phone and then hit the “project” button and the item will be projected into the real world. This is done by transcoding the stored items in reverse-from binary to concrete particles. The items retrieved from the device will look intact.
Another function of ProLug is to project clothes on to the user’s body. This way, user can save time from changing from outfits to outfits and there will be a mix-and-match feature before a looks is decided. This way, one can really travel light. To extend this idea further, this device will make shopping so much easier and convenient. For example, if one were to shop for big furniture and does not wish to wait for it to be shipped, one can transfer the digital file of the furniture set into ProLug from the store and bring it home by storing it in the device. Then, the furniture purchased can be projected into a desired space and be utilized like normal furniture. It does not only save time and energy, it saves cost and reduce environmental pollution from delivery too. This idea also applies to clothes shopping, computer shopping and more. Apart from that, what makes this device great is that the item stored can be shared, returned and transferred to another user since everything is in digital form. This makes moving big items easy and it changes the concept of time and space. However, in order to be able to transfer items from device to device, Internet connection will be needed.
Some might question if ProLug will be able to store food or will it be legal to store dangerous items. This is debatable. Storing food will be a brilliant idea but there will be an expiration date and time. If the stored food exceeded its expiration date, it is not fresh anymore and thus it will be deleted from the device. As for dangerous items such as weapons and drugs, laws and regulations will need further implementation regarding this issue in the future. Furthermore, ProLug will come in different storage sizes and there will be a capacity ranging from 1 terabyte up to 1 zettabyte depends on one’s need. Owing to ProLug’s convenience in scanning, storing and owning things, theft and “robbery” might occur to any object around us. To prevent this, a security code is required before one can successfully scan an object and store it in ProLug.
In 2025, a universal storage cum projector is what humans will need as more and more space is being occupied and each inch of land is becoming more expensive and scarce as the population grows. ProLug is a universal storage developed from the concept of a portable and projectable luggage into a multi-purpose storage device. Apart from sparing the humanity from fighting for spaces to live in the future, it will also reduce a substantial amount of environmental pollution that is generated from vehicles and packaging processes. Besides, it will save us energy from hauling heavy objects and enable us to transfer stored items without physical effort. Coming back to the initial idea, it will be a very useful device for frequent travellers because there will not be any baggage check-in fees and we will never have to worry about overweighed bags. What better way is there to travel than to travel with ProLug?
