Good Thinking

Lampbrella: A street lamp fitted with a rain sensing automatic umbrella … obviously

Lampbrella: A street lamp fitted with a rain sensing automatic umbrella … obviously
Sensors ensure the Lampbrella is deployed to offer pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining
Sensors ensure the Lampbrella is deployed to offer pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining
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In addition to the rain sensor, there's also a 360 degree motion sensor on the fiberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone is using the Lampbrella
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In addition to the rain sensor, there's also a 360 degree motion sensor on the fiberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone is using the Lampbrella
The Lampbrella concept sees a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy and a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand
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The Lampbrella concept sees a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy and a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand
The Lampbrella designer insists his creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies or large trees where you can hide from the rain
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The Lampbrella designer insists his creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies or large trees where you can hide from the rain
With a diameter of 2.2m (7ft 2in) each Lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people
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With a diameter of 2.2m (7ft 2in) each Lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people
Sensors ensure the Lampbrella is deployed to offer pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining
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Sensors ensure the Lampbrella is deployed to offer pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining
View gallery - 5 images

You can't always predict a downpour, or (if you're anything like us) remember your umbrella, and as such we've all been soaked while walking around a city. But designer Mikhail Belyaev doesn't think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That's why he created Lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain-sensing umbrella.

The Lampbrella concept sees a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy and a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand. Sensors then ensure the umbrella is deployed to offer pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.

In addition to the rain sensor, there's also a 360 degree motion sensor on the fiberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone is using the Lampbrella to hide from the rain. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.

The designer says he came up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. "Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street - Nevsky Prospect - and saw the street lamps illuminating people trying to hide from the rain," he told Gizmag. "I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy built into a streetlamp."

The Lampbrella designer insists his creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies or large trees where you can hide from the rain
The Lampbrella designer insists his creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies or large trees where you can hide from the rain

It's envisioned that the sidewalk umbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to pose a safety risk, and would be grounded to protect from possible lightning strike. With a diameter of 2.2m (7ft 2in) each Lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people and being installed at 2m (6ft 5in) off the ground, it would only be a hazard for the tallest of pedestrians.

While there are currently no plans to take the Lampbrella into production, Belyaev says he recently made a ​​presentation to one Moscow Department, and insists his creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies or large trees where you can hide from the rain.

Source: Mikhail Belyaev via Behance

View gallery - 5 images
9 comments
9 comments
Val Walden
Oh boy! Just can't wait till the hoodlums get ahold of these. Instant trash! Better not forget YOUR OWN umbrella.
MasterG
What about an upbrella? An upside down umbrella would both shelter and collect precious rain water from areas where water is not desirable. I have designs if anyone cares.
Hoovooloo
That's great and all, but why not just put a permanent metal one there instead of the fabric and electronic piece shown in the article?
Slowburn
Personally I find that shelter from the sun more valuable than shelter from the rain.
Nantha
Ok, all excellent ideas! Why not, then, make it fixed solar panels? These would do best in remote park locations. By the side of the road. In our hills and mountains, rain is common and this would do great.
Insulation from lightning strikes would be of paramount importance. Done right, these would be so environment friendly and beautiful!
Peter Lee
Really great idea....wait until the lightning storm comes and a few people get 100,000 volts running to ground through them!
JPAR
Take MasterG's idea one step further - how about an upside down one which both collects & channels valueable rainwater, BUT then build in a mini-waterwheel & feed some energy back into the grid, or store locally to power the streetlamp.
Often wondered how viable a totally green streetlamp could be if you stuck on solar panels, water wheel plus a wind turbine.....
Slowburn
re; Peter Lee If you use a nonconducting pole and place an object with a strong negative electric charge at the top, the odds of a lightning strike drop to the order of indistinguishable from zero. Add a few well placed lighting rods...
agulesin
"would be grounded to protect from possible lightning strike" aren't metal lamp posts already grounded? I hope so...