[MesaGrande]

Rainy days typically mean lugging around a soggy, wet umbrella - but that might not always be the case. Air Umbrella, which was developed by a company in China with the same name, uses forced air, not fabric, to make a canopy that keeps the raindrops from falling on your head. Once you have arrived at your destination, you can place the dry device in your bag until you’re ready to go out again.

The Air Umbrella sort of looks like a large flashlight. The head has a motor and fan that forces the air up and out, creating a shield from the rain. The umbrella’s shaft is a rechargeable lithium ion battery. At the base, a simple button serves as the on/off switch. Additionally, there is a controller dial that changes the size of the air canopy. It can be expanded to over a meter in diameter, making enough room for two people to be protected from the rain.

The umbrella has been tested in heavy rainfall conditions and seems to perform quite well. The company reports that the sound of the rain typically drowns out the sound of the umbrella. They report that the air pushes water droplets up to 70 centimeters (27.5 inches) away. Changing the way the umbrella is held should also address rain coming down diagonally. While the Air Umbrella is capable of deflecting light wind, extremely heavy wind can cut through the air canopy. However, as the manufacturers observe, even normal umbrellas aren’t really great under those circumstances either.

There are currently three models in development, dubbed A, B, and C, each with different features to meet various needs. The A model is 30 cm (12 in) in length, weighing in at 500 grams (1.1 pounds) and can run for 15 minutes per charge. The B model is longer at 50 cm (19.8 in) long and 800 g (1.7 lbs), lasting 30 minutes per charge. The C model also lasts 30 minutes, weighs in at 850 g (1.9 lbs), but can be scaled anywhere from 50-80 cm (19.8-31.5 in).

The company admits that the battery life is fairly short but they hope to improve the umbrella design over the next 10 months using the money raised from the Kickstarter campaign. Additionally, they will address the design and practicality, making whatever adjustments necessary. Production of the improved devices will begin in September 2015, and all Kickstarter backers are expected to receive their Air Umbrellas before December 31, 2015.

[commondenom]

nice idea.... make it out of carbon fibre and use a smaller motor and longer lasting battery and they'll have a winner

[deanmine]

incase u dont have either...

[Desensitisation]

How fucking retarded is this. Yeah, let's blow water sideways on to all the other people walking beside me. That'll make them fucking happy.

Oh, is there a slight breeze? The rain isn't coming straight down? Well that's just fucking great.

And it's been raining for longer than half an hour? Well look here, my old-fashioned plastic umbrella sure as hell just didn't run out of batteries! And did water just get into the electrical parts of my umbrella and cause it to malfunction? Nope! It has no electrical parts!

Talk about over-engineering...

[deanmine]

Originally Posted by Desensitisation ↗

Talk about over-engineering.

that was fuckin comedy~! lol... thanks!

[MesaGrande]

Originally Posted by Desensitisation ↗

How fucking retarded is this. Yeah, let's blow water sideways on to all the other people walking beside me. That'll make them fucking happy.

Oh, is there a slight breeze? The rain isn't coming straight down? Well that's just fucking great.

And it's been raining for longer than half an hour? Well look here, my old-fashioned plastic umbrella sure as hell just didn't run out of batteries! And did water just get into the electrical parts of my umbrella and cause it to malfunction? Nope! It has no electrical parts!

Talk about over-engineering...

The first similar prototype ever created did spray all of the rain directly sideways, so it was a helluva mess for the bystanders This one has an air flow pointed upwards, so it sprays the raindrops up again and lets them fall down somewhere else instead on top of you
But you're right about the risk of technical malfunction possibility and besides that, it doesn't protect anyone from hail. This is the point where usual fabric umbrellas come in handy, but wind is the No.1 enemy for them.

[winvens]

That thing resembles a giant Hitachi Magic Wand.

[FunkPumpkin]

Sorry, but a Gore-Tex jacket and a water-resistant brimmed hat fits in my pack a lot easier than that shit.

[deanmine]

Originally Posted by Anom Alley ↗

That thing resembles a giant Hitachi Magic Wand.

my ex girlfriend had a "magic wand" and boy that thing was useful when i needed to go to sleep early..... no no ANOM ALLEY its cuz she had a bad back

[winvens]

Originally Posted by deanmine ↗

my ex boyfriend had a massive penis and boy that thing was useful when i needed to go to sleep early

Uh...okaaaay...