Can The Air Umbrella Hold Water?

Since 3,000 years ago, not a lot has changed in the umbrella's basic design - it's still some kind of ribbed cage covered in some kind of fabric. The new Air Umbrella now making a run on Kickstarter, however, does away with this design in favor of a cone of jetted air that promises to keep the rain away.

That might sound unlikely, but there is a demonstration video that would make you think the gizmo really could work - at least for rainstorms that fall shy of monsoon strength.

This isn't the first time we've seen this concept. Back in 2010 it was reported by cnet.com that there was such an air umbrella concept from a Korean designer, but it seems like that was never actually produced. The new Air Umbrella on Kickstarter from designers in Nanjing, China, may meet the same fate; at this point, it's only raised about US$ 4,000 of its US$ 10,000 goal with 11 days left to the campaign.

Still, if the project gets funded, it could be a nifty device. For one, it would eliminate that annoying inside-out thing normal umbrellas do in high winds. It would also keep you from poking out someone's eye with those dagger-like tips that hang out from the edges of traditional brollies.

Air Umbrella says there are going to be three versions of the device. Version A measures 30 centimeters (about a foot) long and, for some reason, is intended for women. Version B is 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) long. And version C is scalable, growing from 50 centimeters to 80 centimeters (about 31 inches). The battery life on the umbrellas isn't the most impressive. Version A gets 15 minutes while B and C get 30 minutes, so they should be good for short darts here and there, but not for long romantic strolls in the rain.

Right now you can still get in on the early bird deals. Version A is priced at US$ 88, B is going for US$ 98 and C is US$ 108. The pledge and pricing structure is a bit confusing on the Kickstarter page, but it looks like full retail pricing will range from US$ 128 to US$ 148. The makers are promising delivery in December 2015, so you'd better hold on to your traditional umbrella for the next round of April showers.