Finally a good use for drones—hands-free umbrellas

Umbrellas are so annoying with their whole requiring hands things. On the plus side, there’s a very small chance that an umbrella will accidentally cut your head off. That can all change with the new drone umbrella, which hovers its rapidly spinning propellers over your head while keeping your precious hair dry and your face in the shade. Maybe it can offer haircuts, too?

The new Free Parasol developed by Asahi Power Service promises to be keep you in the shade and out of the rain, hands-free, reports Sora News 24. While the drone-umbrella is currently only in prototype form, according to the Free Parasol website, the company is hard at work on creating its own flying umbrella. Due to all the regulations surrounding flying drones in public places, Asahi Power Service will reportedly first start selling the drones to private ventures, like golf courses. They hope to have it flying over golf courses, rainy day sidewalks, and beaches by 2019 for the low, low cast of $275 (30,000 yen) plus whatever insurance you’ll have to buy for flying a drone six feet off the ground.