Oombrella, a French smart-umbrella that notifies users when it is raining, successfully met its Kickstarter goal. The product is expected to ship to early backers in October of this year. (All images via Wezzoo)
Oombrella, the ‘unforgettable umbrella’ just successfully hit its Kickstarter goal with a handful of hours to go. The smart umbrella promises to revolutionize the way people use umbrellas, by sending users notifications when it is going to rain, and when it has been forgotten.
Oombrella is a smart umbrella that gives users one less thing to think about. When running out the door, most people forget important belongings, and almost always leave home without an umbrella when it is going to rain. The innovators at Wezzoo wanted to do something about this, so they created an umbrella that reminds users to bring it along, and even keeps tabs on the weather.
Wezzoo is a real-time weather service that is also social. With the help of software engineers, designers from Escabo design studio, and electrical engineers from Exotic Systems, the project came to life.
The brain, if you will, of the umbrella is what the development team calls the “capsule.” The capsule houses a number of sensors, including temperature, pressure, light, and humidity sensors. These sensors send information to a user’s cell phone via low-energy Bluetooth. A user can then review weather updates based on real-time data on a free, synchronized app. With this, each Oombrella is connected to other users, so if it is hot and humid outside, but you have the air conditioner on inside, you can still get real-time weather updates.
Aside from the technology, Wezzoo engineered a fair, standalone umbrella. It features a canopy that is strong, and also allegedly windproof, sound-minimizing, and UV-resistant. The handle is ergonomic and waterproof, and the ribs are Kevlar-made to stand against the howling winds. The umbrella comes in two sizes as well: standard, and ‘fit in my bag’ (for the traveling smart-umbrella enthusiasts).
Just for kicks, the company also added a light alert to the Oombrella handle to notify users when they receive a phone call or text, in case the noise of a storm is too loud. It also has a screw thread on the top of the canopy, which can fit a GoPro camera, or anything that can be screwed on, really.
Wezzoo successfully met its Kickstarter goal, and interested parties can still back the company. If you like your umbrella just fine, Wezzoo also sells its capsule independently, so any umbrella could be a smart umbrella. The Oombrella comes in three shades: white, black, and “shiny.” Snag yours on Kickstarter for $60-88 (depending on the package), or grab a capsule for $32.
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