CES 2018 brought with it a deluge of smart appliances, larger-than-life screens, and a bevy of notable tech that will begin rolling out throughout the course of the year. (Suit)case in point? The recently unveiled ForwardX CX-1, an autonomous piece of luggage that’s designed to follow you around as you make your way from point A to B, and everywhere in between.

Now, four months after its Las Vegas debut, this autonomous suitcase has launched on Indiegogo, with early bird pricing beginning at $399. (As always, it’s best to familiarize yourself with the potential perils of crowdfunding before backing a product.)

And along with its crowdfunding campaign, ForwardX has also launched a new name for the suitcase. No longer is it the CX-1 — now, it’s the Ovis.

“[This is] the first time a suitcase has been implanted with a pair of eyes and brain,” said Nicolas Chee, CEO of FowardX Robotics. Noting that the Ovis represents a meeting between a wheeled gadget and computer vision, Chee says that the team has “empowered [Ovis] with the intelligence and cognition to tackle the complex problem of not just following, but predicting your path, while avoiding obstacles.”

Indeed, the Ovis has been branded as the “world’s first self-driving carry-on,” and features an array of advanced tech, including a 170-degree wide-angle lens and built-in facial recognition software, which allow the device to follow you at up to 7 miles per hour throughout the terminal. Other nifty features — namely those tailored toward obstacle avoidance — work in tandem with the suitcase’s tracking algorithm, while a smart wristband works to keep would-be thieves at bay. If the suitcase happens wanders out of range, the aforementioned bracelet will let you know.

The rest of the Ovis’ features are the usual — albeit, welcome — fare. The device, like some of our favorite pieces of smart luggage, comes equipped with a built-in mobile charger, which should allow you to quickly juice your device while on the go. The latter component is even removable, should the Transportation Security Administration have any quibbles, as it often does when it comes to lithium-ion batteries. American Airlines, Delta, and several other airlines have even gone so far as to ban unremoveable batteries in recent weeks, which makes the battery installed in the CX-1 even more desirable for frequent travelers and those who prefer a hassle-free experience.

“We’re excited to be making Ovis available to busy travelers searching for a hands-free and stylish travel companion that can makes traveling a breeze,” Chee said.

The suitcase will weigh in at just under 10 pounds, and is made of polypropylene and carbon fiber. It boasts the battery capacity for two round trips (though it’s not entirely clear where those trips are), and is handily waterproof with a rating of IP56.

Updated on May 29: The Ovis by ForwardX is now available on Indiegogo. 

Related Posts

Your WhatsApp voice notes could help screen for early signs of depression

The study, led by researchers in Brazil including Victor H. O. Otani from the Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences, found that their AI could identify depression in female participants with 91.9% accuracy. All the AI needed was a simple recording of the person describing how their week went.

Talk to AI every day? New research says it might signal depression

This finding comes from a national survey of nearly 21,000 U.S. adults conducted in 2025, where participants detailed how often they interacted with generative AI tools and completed standard mental health questionnaires. Within that group, about 10% said they used AI daily, and 5% said they engaged with chatbots multiple times throughout the day. Those daily users showed higher rates of reported depressive symptoms and other negative emotional effects, such as anxiety and irritability.

You might actually be able to buy a Tesla robot in 2027

The comments follow a series of years-long development milestones. Optimus, which was originally unveiled as the Tesla Bot in 2021, has undergone multiple prototype iterations and has already been pressed into service handling simple tasks in Tesla factories. According to Musk, those internal deployments will expand in complexity later this year, helping prepare the robotics platform for broader use.