Regular umbrellas seem to work just fine, but a Kickstarter project has taken a stab at an innovative adaptation which replaces the traditional fabric with an air “force field.” The fundraising project has already surpassed its $10,000 goal threefold.
However, its hefty weight of 1kg has led to derision, with one
commenter calling it “tech for the sake of
tech.” He added that it is in direct contradiction to the
philosophy of renowned Lotus designer Colin Chapman, who believed
in the motto “Simplify, then add lightness.”
The umbrella is essentially a rod that comes in three models
which differ from each other in both length and battery life.
“It’s a real 'invisible umbrella,' which takes advantage of
the air flow as shelter from the rain,” the campaign page
says.
The rod culminates in a bulbous tip with a tiny motor inside. Air
is sucked in through one end and comes out the other at varying
speeds. It creates an air blade that simply redirects the rain
away from you.
Developers say they had been working on various types for a
while, but it was only a July-August 2012 prototype developed
with postgraduates from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and
Astronautics in China that did the trick of protecting one, even
two, people from the rain.
Still, that particular sample was too big, as it needed large
amounts of air to redirect outward. The better version of that
model was achieved later with the help of PhDs from Beihang
University.
According to the team, Model A will be marketed towards women. It
is 12 inches long and lasts for only 15 minutes. Model B will be
20 inches long and work for up to half an hour. Model C is
extendable to 32 inches and also boasts 30 minutes of power.
Taking this into consideration, the umbrella's weight is not its
only weakness. The fact that the product only functions for half
an hour at best raises questions as to why it has gained so much
traction among funders.
Critics have additionally added that the potential for noisiness
is incredibly high, while its presence in everyday households
would mean the existence of a further item that needs to be
charged on a regular basis.
It is not the first time that an idea to create such a device has
appeared, though this is the first one to be marketed. Quentin
Debaene's "AIRBLOW 2050" umbrella concept even won the James
Dyson Award for design in 2013.
The French student pledged to reinvent the umbrella, giving
plenty of reasons – fabric gets wet; umbrellas tend to turn
inside out from strong wind; puddles of water are made by wet
umbrellas indoors and, of course, they get in people’s faces.
It was Debaene who proposed the motorized design by using Dyson’s
(the vacuum cleaner brand) Airblade technology. He expressed a
wish for it to be operational by 2050, and there’s no reason why
the design flaws existing now (like the fact that it won’t offer
100 percent protection at an angle) can’t be ironed out by then.
Meanwhile, the Air Umbrella project on Kickstarter closes on
October 24, and the creators claim their device works just fine –
but they need more time to improve their product, including its
appearance and auxiliary function (including a power display
function and mobile power supply function).
Those seeking to get one as a Christmas present may be in luck –
but only next year, as shipping is slated for December 2015. And
if anything goes wrong, the team promises a money-back guarantee.