Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Former Samsung Engineers Build Smart Umbrella That Tells If It's Going To Rain (mashable.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the look-up-from-your-mobile-device dept.

A team of former Samsung engineers have developed a smart umbrella, dubbed Opus One, that tells its owner if it's going to rain with the shake of the handle. International Business Times reports: Developed by a team of former Samsung engineers, Opus One smart umbrella works when it is connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth 4.1 through its companion app Jonas. The device gets weather reports every morning from credible sources and sends alert to its owner when its handle is shaken. Red light on the device indicates rain on that particular day, while a green one indicates clear skies. Jonas collects weather data of select cities and sends the information to Opus One smart umbrella, thus helping the owner to know if it's going to rain on a particular day. The device notifies its owner by vibrating if the smartphone connected to the app receives calls, emails or text messages. The smart umbrella also vibrates if its owner leaves behind the smartphone that is connected to it before the user gets too far away. The smartphone too will vibrate and alert its owner if the smart umbrella is left behind. This will help prevent loss of both the products. The umbrella runs on AAA batteries and costs about $105.

10 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. *** INFINITE FACEPALM *** by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The only way they could have designed this to be more of a meme is if they made it an 'Internet of Things' device, and made it 'wirelessly charging'.

  2. On the plus side... by Motherfucking+Shit · · Score: 4, Funny

    With AAA batteries it's unlikely to start a fire, and even if it does, the rain will put it out.

    --
    "BSD: Free as in speech. Linux: Free as in beer. Windows 10: Free as in herpes." --Man On Pink Corner in #52607549.
  3. Ok by nitehawk214 · · Score: 4, Informative

    If I already have the umbrella with me, it doesn't matter if it is going to rain or not. I can wait for it to start raining. If I am outside, I will know if it is raining or not.

    If it has to communicate with a phone to determine if it is raining. Well... why not just use the phone?

    If you want a $100 umbrella. Get one of these. I live in a rather windy city and have never had an inversion or damage. Makes a nice walking stick, as I can put all of my weight on it with no problems. I have not used it for self defense, however.

    My guess is the "smart" umbrella is a cheap $10 dollar one (that they sell at the convenience store for $20 when it is raining), with some crappy electronics in it.

    --
    I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    1. Re:Ok by hey! · · Score: 2

      Let me give a shout out to the London's James Smith & Sons cane shop. A hundred pounds will buy you an umbrella (made in the basement on site) that will be passed down to your distant descendants. When I went there 25 years ago they were still selling sword sticks. I purchased folding model for myself that unfurled to near golf-umbrella proportions. And for the tremendous sum of £140 (which would be £250 today) I bought my wife a magnificent umbrella which she forgot on the subway the first time she used it.

      It's worth a visit just to browse. Plus that's the nearest thing to visiting Olivander's Wand Shop that you can do for real.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    2. Re:Ok by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 2

      It's better if you turn it upside down.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
  4. STUPID by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 2

    So stupid.

    Why would you be carrying an umbrella in the first place if you didn't expect it to rain?

    Couldn't you check the weather report on any of 5000 weather sites, or god forbid, look out a fucking window?

    This is an idiot's 'solution' to a non-existent problem.

    (Fortunately for me, I live in Seattle- I know it's going to rain.)

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    1. Re:STUPID by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3, Funny

      Next up, silverware that tells you if there is food on your plate, and an implant sensor in your legs to tell you is you have pants on or not.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  5. It was featured in James Bond already by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 2

    I believe you can find a video of the prototype at 35 seconds here.

  6. Re:Loss prevention is more interesting feature! by quenda · · Score: 2

    That the umbrella pairs ... that's a feature possibly worth $105.

    Not when a $5 bluetooth-LE proximity tag will do the same job. And when your umbrella is wrecked, move the tag to the next one.

    The tag can even beep if your app detects you are leaving and rain is forecast. Sorry to wreck the slashvertisement.

  7. Screw that, I live in Missouri by p51d007 · · Score: 2

    We get all four seasons, sometimes within the same 24 hour period. And, in some rare instances, within the same couple hours! We keep a coat in our vehicles until after Memorial day. We had snow last year in MAY. We've had tornadoes after thanksgiving. We've had rain, hail, thunderstorms & snow in the same night. An umbrella that can tell us when it will rain? Yeah right.