Many infamous Kickstarter projects have ultimately flopped or failed, leaving backers frustrated and angry. Often pitched with a splashy convincing video that happens to have critical components conveniently offscreen. [Allen Pan] was reminiscing about one such project, the air umbrella, and decide to redeem the project by making his own.
The basic idea of the air umbrella was a device that could create a cone of fast-moving air over your head to deflect air. Going off of the specs listed on the original Kickstarter page, [Allen] made a simple prototype that did nothing. Suspicions confirmed, he decided to keep going by buying a powerful electric leaf blower. A nozzle was 3d printed that could direct the air into the needed disc. Early testing with the mist function on a garden hose seemed promising, and they worked their way up to progressively larger raindrops.
Finally, the clouds of California smiled upon them, and it rained. [Allen] was ecstatic that his umbrella worked. He couldn’t hear much out of one ear as he was holding a leaf blower next to it for a few minutes, but it’s a small price to pay to stay dry with the Air Umbrella.
If you’re curious about more false Kickstarter claims, why not read up on this tiny Arduino compatible board making some dubious claims.
[Header image courtesy of Air Umbrella Kickstarter page]
Going deaf is a small price to pay?
Maybe he can build a giant hearing aid next?
Hey?
What?
Well at least he’s dry!
“create a cone of fast-moving air over your head to deflect air”
so the air umbrella uses air to deflect air?
/activating sarcasm subroutine……done.
i would love to know how this device works and why it needed to be raining to deflect air :D
/de-activating sarcasm subroutine….done.
Came here to see this and leaving satisfied.
This is a job for that engineer that makes the glitter/fart bomb to catch out freight parcel thieves.
Lazers!
Pew pew!
Turn each drop into steam!
Well…
You’d need a truck full of LiPos then following you down the road?
And roasted birds may fall out of the sky?
:-P
Allan Pan has a lot of very interesting videos and it was way cool that the van he was in was at SpaceX – Boca Chica, Tx. I would guess that perhaps the “Cone of Silence” would be needed to reduce the noise factor??? but then that is a umbrella of sorts already ;-)
Damn, if we only had a lightweight fabric that could repel water maybe attach it to a thin aluminum metal frame… oh wait..
I am intrigued by your idea and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.