Brief Summary:
Invention/Project: Air Umbrella
Country: Concepts and prototypes were actively developed in China and promoted through international crowdfunding platforms.
Period: Active discussion and launch attempts around 2014-2016.
Essence: A concept of an umbrella without a fabric canopy, using a powerful airflow generated by a motor in the handle to repel raindrops and create an "air shield."
A futuristic and appealing idea, but completely failed at the implementation stage due to critical shortcomings: terrible noise, extremely short battery life (15-30 minutes), heavy weight, high price, and questionable effectiveness in heavy rain or wind. An example of a concept that crashed against the laws of physics and the limitations of modern technology.
Creation History
The idea of getting rid of the wet fabric of a traditional umbrella had been in the air for a long time. In the mid-2010s, amidst the craze for new gadgets and the popularity of crowdfunding, several startups (mainly from China) introduced concepts and prototypes of the "Air Umbrella." One of the most notable attempts was made on Kickstarter around 2014-2015, raising significant funds and sparking media discussions. Developers promised a revolution in rain protection.
Operating Principle
Instead of ribs and fabric, the Air Umbrella uses an electric motor with a fan built into a hefty handle. This mechanism draws in air from below and forcefully expels it upwards and outwards through nozzles at the top of the handle. The powerful, directed airflow is supposed to create an invisible "dome" or "shield" that physically repels falling raindrops, preventing them from hitting the user. The intensity of the airflow (and, consequently, the size of the "dome") could be adjusted.
Claimed Advantages
- No wet fabric: The main advantage is that there's no need to dry the umbrella, and it doesn't leave puddles indoors.
- Doesn't break in the wind: The absence of ribs and fabric means the umbrella cannot turn inside out.
- Potentially larger protection area: Some developers claimed that the air dome could protect two people at once.
- Futuristic appearance: Using such a gadget would look very unusual and high-tech.
Why Did It Fail?
Despite the appeal of the idea, practical implementation faced insurmountable problems:
- Excessive noise: The powerful fan required to create an effective airflow produced a very loud, annoying noise comparable to a household hairdryer or vacuum cleaner.
- Critically short runtime: Lithium-ion batteries of the time (and even now) could not provide enough power for long. The stated runtime was only 15-30 minutes, which is absolutely insufficient for most situations.
- Heavy and bulky: The handle with the motor, fan, and battery was heavy and inconvenient.
- Questionable effectiveness: In heavy rain or slanting wind, the effectiveness of the air shield was highly questionable. Drops could still hit the user, and surrounding people could get a "shower" from the displaced water.
- High cost: The cost of prototypes and pre-orders was significantly higher than that of quality regular umbrellas.
As a result, despite the funds raised on crowdfunding, mass production was never established, and working models turned out to be more of a demonstration of failure than success.
Ahead of Its Time?
More likely, the concept was fundamentally flawed for the current and foreseeable level of technology. To create a sufficiently strong and wide airflow silently and for extended periods requires energy sources and motors with efficiency that is currently unattainable in a compact form factor. It was not so much "ahead of its time" as it ignored basic physical laws and technological limitations.
Can It Be Revived?
Highly unlikely in the near future. Until there is a revolution in energy storage technologies (significantly more capacious and lightweight batteries) and the creation of ultra-efficient and silent air pumps/fans, the Air Umbrella will remain an unfulfilled dream or a quirky gadget with minute-long autonomy. A regular $10 umbrella is still much more practical.
WTF Factor
The main WTF is the fact that people were willing to invest money in a device that is essentially a **reverse hairdryer on batteries**, trying to blow away rain! Imagine walking in the rain under the deafening roar of a fan, with a heavy contraption in hand, knowing it will run out of power in 15 minutes, while people around you get splashed with water. It's the pinnacle of solving a simple problem in the most complex, loud, and inefficient way possible.