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I saw an ELI5 the other day asking about why luggage wheels are the way they are, and it got me thinking. We're mostly used to seeing those in-line skate style wheels or the four spinner wheels, but you rarely see anything truly "off-road" designed for dragging your suitcase across cobblestone streets or through airports with cracked pavement.
It makes sense from a cost viewpoint – most peopel aren't regularly subjecting thier luggage to that kind of abuse. But wouldn't it be cool to see luggage with more robust,larger diameter wheels,maybe even with some kind of suspension system? I imagine the added weight and bulk would be a downside,but for certain travelers,it might very well be a real game-changer. Has anyone ever seen (or even built!) something like that? I'm curious if the demand is just too niche to really justify the R&D.