LOOPY

What it does

Loopy is a box, made available to travelers on trains enabling them to attach their suitcases and thus guarantee the security of their luggage during the entire journey. Much more than just a lock, Loopy is a true travel companion.

Your inspiration

Every month several hundred pieces of luggage are reported stolen from trains. We have also been confronted with this unfortunate experience and know people around us to whom this has also happened. We therefore wanted to deal with the issue of baggage security in trains as part of a university project, and bring our vision of a solution to this problem. We wanted to offer travelers a solution to put an end to the endless back and forths from the seat to the luggage racks at each stop to check the presence of their suitcase and thus be able to travel with peace of mind.

How it works

The passenger boards the train and places his luggage in a rack. He scans the QR-code on his train ticket (or a QR-code generated by an app on his smartphone) using the scanner next to the Loopy. One of the nearby Loopys unlocks. It emits a light signal to enable the user to identify it. Once the Loopy retractable cable is unlocked, all the passenger has to do is pass it through one of the luggage handles, then clip the end of the cable into the second hole in the Loopy. The cable is then automatically locked. At the end of their journey, users can unlock their luggage by rescanning their ticket. As the scanner has memorized the Loopy associated with the passenger's train ticket, unlocking takes place automatically and the retractable cable rewinds automatically into the Loopy. Fast and efficient, passengers can get off the train without fear of missing their stop.

Design process

Our approach was sequential and divided into several stages. First of all, we began with a needs analysis, focusing on a state of the art analysis and a market survey. We went out to meet our future users, interviewing both passengers and SNCF staff, in order to develop a product that was as well adapted as possible to their needs. We also gathered their opinions through an online survey. We then moved on to the ideation phase, researching initial preconcepts and the scenarios corresponding to them. We then selected the most relevant concepts that we wanted to develop further. We looked at technical feasibility, product architecture, ergonomics and design, and came up with a preliminary design for each. A final concept was then chosen by combining the various ideas obtained. The last major step was the 3D modeling of the chosen solution. We focused on manufacturability, choice of materials, assembly and use.

How it is different

For the time being, there are no solutions available on trains or public transport to deal with the problem of baggage theft (at least in France). Our concept is therefore unique. What's more, we've designed Loopy to satisfy every traveler with its simplicity and speed of use. Our system also differentiates itself by its power supply system: each Loopy has a battery in its case. These batteries are recharged by a wireless recharging system installed in the train, enabling several Loopys to be recharged at the same time within a range of 15m. What's more, we've designed Loopy to satisfy every traveler with its simplicity and speed of use. We've also paid particular attention to develop a secure design. Another advantage of our concept is that it is adaptable to all means of public transport, so it could be integrated into buses, subways... with a QR-code-generating phone application if required.

Future plans

This project was carried out as part of a university design course. The next step would be to develop a prototype and evaluate it in a real-life situation, in order to carry out a more in-depth ergonomic study. We'd like to develop this project further in collaboration with a company.

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