Overview
- Engineer John Tse shared a new video demonstrating a hands-free umbrella that flies above him and tracks his movements.
- The system runs on a custom drone frame with folding arms concealed beneath a trimmed regular umbrella.
- A time-of-flight depth sensor identifies head position, with a Raspberry Pi processing data and directing the flight controller.
- The project evolved from a 2024 manually piloted prototype to autonomous following after months of redesigns and viewer feedback.
- Tests show the umbrella staying overhead in heavy rain, and Tse notes the build is an experimental maker project rather than a finished product.