Watch This Backpack Automatically Deploy an Umbrella in the Rain

In Seattle if you carry an umbrella you get some dirty looks. I wonder how soggy Seattleites would respond to Current Concepts wearable self-deploying backpack umbrella? When rain is detected via a resistive rain sensor the umbrella pops open. It all runs off and ESP32 microcontroller. Fun video full of punchy quips.

Write up from Nik Bild on Hackster.io watch the full video below:

Closing the umbrella was far more difficult than opening it. Automatic umbrellas rely on powerful springs, and compressing one requires significant force — far beyond what small hobby motors can handle. The solution was a high-torque motor paired with a worm gearbox, which provides massive mechanical advantage and prevents back-driving. A length of quarter-inch Dyneema rope, rated to hold over a thousand pounds, reels the canopy downward. When fully closed, a limit switch cuts the motor, resetting the system.

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