Here’s a Blade Runner umbrella build that is done just a little bit too right. It delivers a double-dose of geekery with its lightsaber-gone-rain-protector look but where we think it crosses the line is at the built-in audio system. When you turn it on it plays recordings of popular lines from Blade Runner, something that might not fly in public. But the quality is in a different galaxy compared to the dollar store illuminated umbrella that we looked at last year.
[Erv’ Plecter] replaced the central support rod for the umbrella with a clear polycarbonate tube. An optic cable snakes through the hollow tube, illuminated by a Luxeon LED in the handle. The custom PCB and 900 mAh battery are both housed there as well. Take a look at (and listen to) the demo after the break. We’ll need to add this to our future projects list right after that Lightsaber movie replica build.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DcFWnRMwks]
When hackaday says something is to geeky… You need to get out more!!!
No wait, don’t!!! Stay in, and give us more nerdiness, my over lord!
Carefull, George Lucas might sue over this…
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-07-06/tech/light.saber.lucas_1_luke-skywalker-star-wars-lucasfilm?_s=PM:TECH
hmmm, or I could just buy one off of thinkgeek http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/d163/zoom
If you buy one at thinkgeek, it would not have a Crystal Focus in it. ;)
If you bought it pre-made what would you use it for? Surely the fun here is building it, after that it gets lost in a closet, never to be heard from again (until you gut it for parts).
I was thinking about buying the thinkgeek version last week, but then realized that a non-collapsible umbrella is just too unwieldy. So here’s something for v2: make is pocketsized!
Nice look but the sound effects are horrible for the concept and need to go or at least need be disabled and controllable.
Anyone have a model # or data sheet for the button he’s using? Looks pretty cool.
The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long!
That is one noisy umbrella!
@solos
http://cgi.ebay.com/1pcs-Stainless-illuminated-Momentary-switch-green-16mm-/350338962145?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5191d452e1#ht_1053wt_911
This one?
He opened an umbrella inside, now he cursed himself to have bad luck.
I don’t buy into such nonsense myself but it’s a pretty old belief that opening them inside brings bad luck.
yep the fun was about building it and “bending” an illuminated concept with another movie universe. As for using it, I can’t really, the thing has been autographed, so I won’t take the risk to go under the rain with it.
As for the sound effect, it’s a question of taste. I chose to go with a Blade runner soundfont with street sounds, footsteps and movie quotes, I don’t think it’s exaggerated. However, that’s not something you’ll enjoy when *actually* using it as an umbrella. That’s where the audio player make it interesting : play your favorite music coming home at night, helped with the light of the central rod. “Electronics for Props that Work” !
It’s Lady Snowblood ancestor’s umbrella !