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With the current developments within the sphere of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, many conventional articles are all being fitted with smart functionalities, ranging from chairs, beds, shoes and caps to underwear. Bags which are utility as well as fashion items have not been left out of this smart craze, albeit to a less popular degree. The purpose of this study is to fill the research gap on the subject of smart bags research and applications and to contribute to the general discourse on IoT.

This study adopts literature search and database review, concept mapping as well as synthesis methodologies. Relevant literature form databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Bing Scholar were interrogated. Manual sifting was done to eliminate papers that do not fit the set inclusion criteria. Literature on smart bags was organized into structured frameworks using concept mapping methodology. Applying a synthesis methodology enabled an exploration of the different technological trends in smart bag research and their areas of application.

The study identified about 15 different smart bag applications and functionalities. Discussed in this study is a classification of bags based on a number of points such as way of carrying, size, utility and fabrication materials. Also discussed are the description of what constitute a smart bag, relevant technologies for smart bag design and engineering and subsequently the current trends in smart bag applications. This study also discovered that the air travel industry tend to have some difficulties with this smart bag technologies, specifically with their built-in batteries.

The results of this study will provide researchers and other stakeholders with key information about existing problems and opportunities in smart bag research and applications. This will go a long way to help in guiding future research as well as policymaking in smart bag design and application.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first review on the subject of smart bags even though smart bag research and commercial product design continue to gain momentum in recent years.