Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Autonomous flying umbrella follows and shields users from rain and sunlight

designboom.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 47 posts

Re: Autonomous flying umbrella follows and shields users from rain and sunlight

#31

Post by SequoiaHope »

mensetmanusman wrote: post #29
nine_k wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> today's luxury is tomorrow's necessity Indeed, see stuff like fridges, cars, phones, internet access... > pop-up ads, selfies, subscriptions, the cybertruck... None of these are a luxury, or ever was; in a way, they are the opposite.

pop-up ads - existence depends on surplus technology, electricity, and global communications networks. - not required for food, shelter, water, or survival. ergo luxury

I think there is some middle category between “required for survival” and “luxury”.

Re: Autonomous flying umbrella follows and shields users from rain and sunlight

#32

Post by hex4def6 »

m463 wrote: post #14
zkmon wrote: post #13

I think this is in the category of excess application of technology

I don't know - I got an automatic garbage can that not only opens and closes, it also ejects the garbage bag when it is full and vacuums in another one into place. today's luxury is tomorrow's necessity. things get normalized. pop-up ads, selfies, subscriptions, the cybertruck...

On the other hand, I used to have an automatic open garbage can. Absolutely hated it. Ended up replacing with a foot operated one. The benefits were:

* Never ran out of batteries

* Didn't rely on an IR sensor that would work about 80% of the time, but would sometimes require waving more than once to get it to open.

* Didn't have a delicate gearing mechanism (automatic one eventually stripped a gear and broke).

* No set open time. God forbid you throw something in, turn to the counter and throw a second thing in...

* large lid, since it relies on foot power, not a motor / battery can only realistically open a certain weight lid.

My inlaws also have an automatic one -- last time I visited I saw that they also suffered from the stripped gear issue...

I wish public restrooms used foot-operated faucets instead of the existing "wave frantically for 3 seconds of water" sensors they have.

I am jealous of the auto-seal garbage bag option, but I am skeptical about long term reliability.

Re: Autonomous flying umbrella follows and shields users from rain and sunlight

#36

Post by toasty228 »

m463 wrote: post #14
zkmon wrote: post #13

I think this is in the category of excess application of technology

I don't know - I got an automatic garbage can that not only opens and closes, it also ejects the garbage bag when it is full and vacuums in another one into place. today's luxury is tomorrow's necessity. things get normalized. pop-up ads, selfies, subscriptions, the cybertruck...

> today's luxury is tomorrow's necessity.

Not sure about necessity but it sure sound like it's tomorrow's e-waste and land fill material

Re: Autonomous flying umbrella follows and shields users from rain and sunlight

#38

Post by karmakaze »

12_throw_away wrote: post #5

IMO it's worth watching the video rather than reading someone's writeup of it. My favorite part is this (written) list of everything that went wrong [1] ... and how much of it is due to the intersection of hardware, software, vendors, and linux [1] https://youtu.be/EYRrUiM_A6g?si=T60tAChuo-GNtfqW&t=921

That's useless as a product, fun as a project.

I don't even like carrying the smallest of folding umbrellas around in case it might rain. Then if it does, this thing will hover so far above and away that you get wet anyway optimistically saving up to 50% of raindrops. 50% wet is still wet. If I have an umbrella I hold it close over my head unless I'm covering someone walking with me.

Re: Autonomous flying umbrella follows and shields users from rain and sunlight

#39

Post by nine_k »

mensetmanusman wrote: post #29
nine_k wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> today's luxury is tomorrow's necessity Indeed, see stuff like fridges, cars, phones, internet access... > pop-up ads, selfies, subscriptions, the cybertruck... None of these are a luxury, or ever was; in a way, they are the opposite.

pop-up ads - existence depends on surplus technology, electricity, and global communications networks. - not required for food, shelter, water, or survival. ergo luxury

Mosquitoes depend on the existence of highly developed, warm-blooded vertebrates. Are they therefore a luxury?

A luxury is something that makes your life actually better, but too expensive for most people.

Re: Autonomous flying umbrella follows and shields users from rain and sunlight

#40

Post by dinfinity »

karmakaze wrote: post #38
12_throw_away wrote: post #5

IMO it's worth watching the video rather than reading someone's writeup of it. My favorite part is this (written) list of everything that went wrong [1] ... and how much of it is due to the intersection of hardware, software, vendors, and linux [1] https://youtu.be/EYRrUiM_A6g?si=T60tAChuo-GNtfqW&t=921

That's useless as a product, fun as a project. I don't even like carrying the smallest of folding umbrellas around in case it might rain. Then if it does, this thing will hover so far above and away that you get wet anyway optimistically saving up to 50% of raindrops. 50% wet is still wet. If I have an umbrella I hold it close over my head unless I'm covering someone walking with me.

50% is very generous. In the video it isn't even consistently above his body half the time. It is also constantly a good 80cm above him, so even a slight bit of side wind makes it fully useless to keep you dry.

Any wind speed above 20m/s is also going to just blow it straight out of the air or at best heavily reduce flight time.

And then there is the little issue with having a mini lawn mower constantly above your head: loud and dangerous.

Having said that, we can still applaud the creator for bringing their idea to life.

Post reply on HN