LightDrops Umbrella: with Rain-Powered LED Glow
By Alex Ion
Rain power, baby. The LightDrops umbrella transforms the potential energy of falling water into electrical energy by using a PDVF conductive membrane. This electrical energy then powers an array of LEDs, making the umbrella glow bright in the dark. Designed by Sang-Kyun Park, the LightDrops Umbrella is both stylish and energy conscious, a symbol of all the power in the world that we can harness if we put our minds to it. Beyond the symbolic, we have to admit– this umbrella looks nothing short of fresh. [via Yanko]
Friday, December 12, 2008 5:13PM
[...] LightDrops Umbrella: with Rain-Powered LED Glow Posted In: News [...]
Monday, December 15, 2008 10:14AM
[...] Stylecrave and Yanko [...]
Monday, December 15, 2008 9:00PM
[...] [Via StyleCrave] [...]
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 12:00AM
[...] [Via StyleCrave] [...]
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 12:20AM
[...] [Via StyleCrave] [...]
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 4:32AM
[...] I think the fact that on dark nights it will look like some weird glowing, floating thing is enjoying the rain would be worth the price alone StyleCrave [...]
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 4:52PM
I sincerely doubt that this is powered by raindrop energy. Energy-harvesting technology just hasn’t gotten that far. Maybe it’s powered by some other motion provided by the user, but more likely by couple hearing-aid batteries and a lot of hype.
Saturday, December 20, 2008 5:02PM
photoshopped!
i can tell by the pixels, plus i’ve seen a few ‘shops in my day.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 3:25AM
Josh Hernandez is most likely right.
The way this works is probably just that the water completes the circuit… a circuit powered by a source in the handle. Thing looks great so why not flesh it out…put one of those wind-up flashlights in it with the bulb situated to achieve shown effect.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 11:36PM
@Josh Hernandez,
Consider roughly 10% efficiency for the PVDF (the plastic that the umbrella’s made out of), then consider that a powerful LED draws about 0.9W (P=VI=3V*.03A). Cumulus clouds (rainclouds) form at a minimum level of about 2km, so we’ll use that for our basis. Since a rain drop is approximately .05mL, it has a mass of approximately .05g or .00005kg, falling 2km, or 2000m, it has an acceleration of 9.8m/s^2. From these values, the kinetic energy of each rain drop would be .00005*9.8*2000=.98J. Again, since we’re assuming 10% efficiency in the PVDF, each rain drop gives us .098 effective joules of energy. One watt is one joule per second, so that means that for each 10 rain drops that hit the umbrella per second, we have more than enough power to power a single LED for that second. Now if you consider that over an area of about 1m^2, there are more than likely a few hundred rain drops hitting the umbrella, then we have more than enough to power an array of LEDs. The average luminous flux for a white LED is about 800 lumens, about half that of a 100W bulb, more than enough to illuminate the umbrella even at 10% efficiency, which is well within our technological ability.
Friday, December 26, 2008 9:28AM
cool ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, i trust the thing of p.e converted to ke. but i dont think there would be so bright light through the charged particle.
Saturday, December 27, 2008 10:02PM
The original article indicates a conducive membrane of the umbrella, but does tell us about the power source.
Monday, December 29, 2008 1:39AM
[...] Even tough it’s near impossible to use an umbrella in Wellington I still want one of these! [...]
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
Cool gadget but the marketing sucks. If it's energy conscious, how can you put it next to a SUV? Did they not know now much gas it needs to move?
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
Surely that is the idea, to creat a contrast between the energy conscious umbrella held by the walking man and the high energy useage SUV.
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
I think that's kind of beside the point.
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
Wouldn't this make walking in the rain fun.
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
no…
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
nah. it's called juxtaposition. i'm pretty sure you know that mean. just like i'm pretty sure marketers also know what that means.
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
I want that! Can't wait until they are on the market!
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
oh yeah Hyundai Santa Fe, really thirsty. the thing uses the same amount of gas as a Camry.
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
Everyones a fuckin critic. Props to this design, and who cares if theres a god damn SUV behind it. The article is about the umbrella; not the SUV and its comparison to your head and how much of a negative impact they have on the world. Drop it like its hot.
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
hahah yeah especially because normal umbrella's don't use energy anyways soit doesn't have to be energey conscious
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
LEDs are sweeet!
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
i want that too! it all about safety also very creative !
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
Its main point is not about being cool, but about being safe and how the person in the SUV can see the person walking with the umbrella because of the technology. This might be over your heads.
Monday, January 12, 2009 3:10AM
It does seem like it would make you more visible to road users, ergo more safe. I'm not sure if I'd want to walk around outside at night GLOWING (it's like shouting 'hey, rob me!) but it'd be good that drivers will be able to see you in low visibility rainy conditions. Also, LED's are pretty cool.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 4:41PM
You left terminal velocity out of your equation.. your raindrops are a tad too powerful, if they were actually going that fast they would just tear through your umbrella huh
Friday, June 19, 2009 4:28AM
nice
Thursday, March 25, 2010 4:54AM
@Bryan don't think you can assume the rain drops fall 2km w/o friction. Not sure what the terminal velocity of a raindrop is, but you really need to use that for calculating the KE of the raindrop. Too lazy to get my physics book out to calc the terminal velocity…