A Hong Kong team has come up with an idea of encouraging social interactions on a rainy day with LED embedded UmbrellaHere.
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UmbrellaHere comes with a wooden stand.(All Photo Courtesy of UmbrellaHere via Kickstarter) |
Inspired by taxi cab lights that indicate whether a taxi is available for hire, the team decided to incorporate the same concept in umbrellas to encourage people to shield strangers from rain. When the Umbrella Here lights up it indicates strangers are welcomed to share the umbrella.
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UmbrellaHere installed on top of an umbrella. |
The company even developed smartphone apps to allow users track how many people they have helped, or keep in touch with those helped. The Bluetooth plastic device can be synchronized with smartphone apps to remind users they have left their umbrella behind.
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The device enables users keep in touch with people they've helped. |
LED specs for UmbrellaHere were not mentioned on its Kickstarter page, but the LEDs allow the device to be color customized to indicate the user mood or preferences. Used separately, and the device turns into a weather indicator, turning into a shade of red on a hot day or blue on a cold day.
The Kickstarter project that ends today has raised US $15,740 out of its US $15,000 goal.