A Saudi-Palestinian company has created a solar-powered umbrella to help meet the demands of Muslim pilgrims.
“Knowledge-Base” hopes its invention will go worldwide and reach multiple users who can take advantage of the solar-powered, GPS savvy accessory.
The multi-purpose umbrella transforms sunlight into electricity, which can then be used to generate power for the umbrella’s many features.
The smart umbrella ‘Kafya’ was born in the Kingdom’s holy city of Makkah, the brainchild of Saudi Arabian scientist Kamel Badawi.
“Umbrellas are always in demand especially in Europe. They are also being used in haj. However, the pilgrims only use the umbrella as a form of protection from the sun. No one has considered the umbrella could be used for more than one purpose. When we started thinking about this, we found that we could install a built-in fan to keep the user cool.This means we always have electricity to not only charge mobile phones, but computers as well. You can charge any device that can be connected via USB. The GPS system will help families stay together by helping each individual who has an umbrella easily identify where he or she is,” Badawi said.
The umbrella also comes with three different USB outlets to charge mobile phones, tablets and other portable devices including laptops.
Badawi and Dandis hope an international company or government body will invest in their product to begin mass production. They hope to make it available at an affordable price for anyone to buy.
Source : Geo
