State of the Art
I. Eco Umbrella Dryer
Sold by various companies under different names, the Eco Umbrella Dryer is one solution to wet umbrellas and messy floors
Pros and Cons
Easy to Use ✔
Easy to install ✔
Expensive ($1133-$1600) ✘
Needs drying pads ($60 each) ✘
II. Umbrella Wrapper
A popular existing solution, this device allows you to wrap your wet umbrella in a plastic sheath, preventing water drippage.
Pros and Cons
Easy to Use ✔
Works for range of umbrellas ✔
Utilizes single-use plastic ✘
Does not actually dry umbrella ✘
Costly ($200 + 5¢ per plastic bag) ✘
III. Shaking umbrella manually
Most intuitive solution out there. Simply shake the umbrella to get rid of excess water.
Easy to Use ✔
Convenient + Free ✔
Requires notable physical effort ✘
Can make clothes + floors wet ✘
These were the solutions we examined to evaluate the need we were addressing.
Later in the project, they were also used to perform benchmark testing.