Lightdrops Umbrella is Powered by Rain

December 16th, 2008 by Ariel Schwartz

Anyone who has been caught in a torrential downpour knows that rain can be pretty powerful stuff. That’s why the Lightdrops umbrella prototype is so ingenious. The polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) umbrella features a “collective membrane” that powers its LED lights with energy from the rain.

The PVDF material actually harvests kinetic energy— the heavier the rain, the brighter the umbrella’s LED light becomes.

Designer Sang-Kyun Park’s umbrella isn’t close to being released yet, but I’ll be first in line for the finished product.

Photo Credit: Sang-Kyun Park









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