Precipitation Forecasting Umbrella

Following on from the Star Umbrella featured previously on TFTS in this post, which also features the use of LED lighting, we felt duty bound to report on this other rather novel umbrella which is presently in development by a company going by the name of Ambient Devices. The Ambient Forecasting Umbrella is designed to offer its owner an up to the minute report concerning the probability of it raining – and hence whether the umbrella itself may be required prior to you venturing out into the big outdoors.

Utilising a radio link with the well established AccuWeather.com, the umbrella’s handle features a blue LED light that pulses so as to indicate the probability of precipitation, with, for example, one pulse per second indicating a sixty percent chance of rain and one hundred pulses a minute indicating that you’re likely to find a monsoon on the other side of your front door.

The only draw back is that, if you are going out for more than just a short trip then it would appear that you’d have to take this umbrella with you if only to find that the umbrella itself then tells you that you really needn’t have brought it as it isn’t going to rain anyway – which, in a sense, surely negates the need for this technology enhanced umbrella over a standard umbrella if you’re going to end up carrying it all the time regardless. But perhaps I’m just being unnecessarily picky.

Either ways, as regular readers of TFTS will know, the mere fact that it features a blue LED virtually assures it of featuring on this site and getting our vote of approval.

[Source | Gearlog]