Japan 'drone-brella' promises hands-free sun cover
Japan 'drone-brella' promises hands-free sun cover
06 June 2018 - 07H44
TOKYO (AFP) - It's the hands-free experience you never knew
you needed -- a Japanese company has developed a drone-powered parasol it says
can hover over users, protecting them from the sun.
The drone-powered sunshade -- being developed by Asahi
Power Service -- should be released next year, and will initially target those
in need of a hands-free head covering wider than your average hat, like
golfers.
The potential headaches posed by crashes, and regulations
governing autonomous aircraft, mean the company expects the product will
initially be used in closed private spaces, like golf courses.
"I decided to develop it as I don't like to hold an
umbrella," company president Kenji Suzuki told AFP.
At 150 centimetres (60 inches) wide, the parasol
prototype weighs five kilos (11 pounds), and so far can only fly for five
minutes on one charge.
Asahi Power Service is hoping to quickly extend flying
time to at least 20 minutes, partly by making the device lighter, Suzuki said.
"The first prototype we made was just a drone
attached to a regular umbrella," he said.
"We are now testing the third-generation prototype
and trying to overcome (the technological challenges of) hovering in a stable
manner above the head of the user and then chasing the user."
The drones are fitted with cameras that help the parasols
track their owners and stay over the correct head.
The company expects the device to have a price tag of
about 30,000 yen ($275), a hefty investment for a parasol that isn't yet able
to protect its users from the rain.
For now, the devices are not waterproof.
"Eventually, we aim to develop it into an
umbrella," Suzuki said.
© 2018 AFP
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