December means winter, and winter means — in most parts of the US — rain. Or snow. Or something that requires an umbrella. And umbrellas, as most users know, are just awkward. They are bulky and wet, and everyone at some point has either been the giver or receiver of a stray-umbrella eye poking. Plus, there’s always to conundrum as to what to do with them once you get inside.
Designers Je Sung Park and Woo Jung Kwon have apparently fixed the social umbrella problem at large with their new Air Umbrella . The design does away with everything on the conventional umbrella except the handle, which propels air forcefully out the top, creating an air shield which protects the user from rain.
The air puff is invisible, so it looks like “you have a magic rain-stopping wand,” says reviewers at Yanko Design. The Air Umbrella is a simple electronic device that takes in air from the bottom of the controller and shoots it out at the top to create a curtain of air that can repel raindrops.
The handle has a control setting, so the air force can be changed depending on the amount of rain. The Air Umbrella can be retracted so it fits conveniently in your bag or pocket. No more worrying about shoving a wet umbrella in your bag; no more poking that more person next to you in the eye.
Would you buy an Air Umbrella? Check out the pictures below to see how it works.
