Finally, a flying umbrella (and it’s not because of the wind)

Canadian engineer and inventor John Tse turned to technology to try to stop raindrops from falling on our heads.

In recent years, some people have looked at the humble umbrella and seen more than just a way to stay dry during a downpour. They looked at it as a challenge.

Can human ingenuity improve it? Are there ways to use it that we never thought of before? Could it be simultaneously more practical and absurdly complicated? The answer to all of this seems to be “Yes”.

Recently, North American startup Ori presented an innovative design based on origami to solve a 175-year-old design flaw.

According to , there are currently more than a dozen patents registered for innovative umbrellas, and their designs range from simple extendable parasols that extend from normal backpacks to huge ones shell-shaped covers that cover the entire head.

There are full-length umbrellas that make it look like you’re inside a hamster ball, there are shoe umbrellas to use when we carry open shoes, and even personal vehicles that accompany us in adverse weather conditions (in the not too distant future).

Despite creativity, these attempts at innovation continue to be clumsy and usually impractical. Now, John Tsea young Canadian engineer and inventor, truly thought out of the box — and invented a fascinating flying umbrella.

Tse’s invention is the opposite of the familiar image we have of cartoon characters walk with a small rain cloud hovering overhead: uses drone technology to keep our heads safe from the rain, no need to hold anythingwearing nothing or being tied to nothing.

Tse recently provided a detailed behind-the-scenes update on the project, originally conceived and prototyped in 2024, in a video published on his YouTube channel, which already has around 165,000 subscribers.

In the video, Tse describes how the way his umbrella-drone initially depended on a manual controller, making it impractical and limited in its use.

In response to suggestions from its potential customers, it proposed adding a tracking systemso that the flying umbrella could simply pass by follow your userhovering just a few feet above their heads.

The process involved testing different tracking systems, from cameras, LiDAR sensors, and even, as a joke, a remote human operator — something like a private umbrella driver.

Tse is exhaustive in the detailsand explains how he used flight controllers and Raspberry Pi computers to test methods of identifying and tracking specific targets. Always with a fun narrative, at a certain point, it gives a lecture yourself in an empty classroom.

According to the inventor, Tse managed to achieve his goal… more or less. “I would be lying if I said that this project turned out perfect, but at the same time I would also be lying if I said that this moment didn’t bring us joy.”

Even in its imperfect state, the Tse umbrella is fun, quite practical, and potentially very useful to anyone who doesn’t like umbrellas.