Internet-ready umbrella prototype

When it comes to city living, it seems umbrellas were made to be lost. We've left them in the back of taxis, under subway seats, and had them stolen from under barstools by opportunistic tipplers unprepared for sudden spring showers.

Now Sho Hashimoto and Takashi Matsumoto of Keio University's Media Desing program have developed an umbrella you'll definitely want to keep your eyes on, in more ways than one. Their Pileus prototype is an internet-ready umbrella, with a display on the underside, a built-in digital camera, GPS, a digital compass, and a pre-set connection to both Flickr and Google Earth. Now when Mother Nature opens up on you, you can open your photo albums, or navigate your way to drier climes.

taken from Core77 Design Blog there's a demo video as well...