> The best case for us would be a customer process change where everyone loads their luggage into perfectly regular and very sturdy hardshells, but this one's probably out of our hands.

I could see a budget airline cooperating with a luggage/case manufacturer and offering "if your checked bag is EXACTLY a Pelican 1615TRVL, it flies free/cheap" - and then work with them to design a case that is easily automatable.