Okay ... this is my first post so here goes:

Have you ever been to the beach; set up your towels and coolers and most importantly your umbrella only to fall asleep halfway through a good book and awaken finding yourself burned to a crisp and the umbrella's shadow shading some freeloader a few feet away. Well, I haven't ... but I imagine someone has. And here's my answer: AN UMBROLLAR (soLAR UMBReLLa) with a base that has some sort of motor that would allow the umbrella to rotate autonomously. Where the canvas of the umbrella would normally be are instead a bank of solar panels powering the small motor on the base of the umbrella. Now this part is key ... small photoreceptor(s) would be mounted on the top of the umbrella detecting from which direction the light is most intense and sending the information to a small onboard computer which would, in turn, reposition the umbrella to best inhibit the sun. Taking the photovoltaic umbrella (2) one step further. Plus its a BEACH umbrella ... one of the few reasons you would use an umbrella in a sunny situation and excellent solar ... ness.
-- DaGreengo, Oct 16 2003

Not totally unlike this idea. But close. http://www.halfbake...pinning_20sun_20hat
Perhaps you could modify my idea to be a self-contained version of this. [Worldgineer, Oct 04 2004]

a phototrophic umbrella, sounds like a good plan to me, (+) welcome [DaGreengo]
-- neilp, Oct 16 2003


Have you ever been to the beach; set up your towels and coolers and most importantly your umbrollar, only to fall asleep halfway through a good book and awaken finding yourself burned to a crisp and your brand-new, $500 umbrollar's been stolen by some freeloader who's now miles away?
-- phundug, Oct 16 2003


HaHaHa [phundug] CLEVER INDEED! BUT I'LL DO YOU ONE BETTER ... no ... no, I can't think of anything. You got me.
-- DaGreengo, Oct 16 2003


[phundug] surely you need a umbrelarm ?
-- neilp, Oct 16 2003


Sounds good ... maybe have one that autonomously blocks wind, sell them in Amarillo, Texas, and you're a made half-baker! ... welcome [+]
-- Letsbuildafort, Oct 16 2003


To make rotation work you'll need a lopsided umbrella or rotate the base of an angled pole.
-- FarmerJohn, Oct 17 2003


Like it. Nice maiden post [DaGreengo]. I agree with [FarmerJohn] in that you would need an angled pole, but that should present no problems so +. I also like the word solar..ness. Sounds like something I'd say when trying to be at my most convincing and technical.
-- squeak, Oct 17 2003


Call it the Cinder-Ella.
-- phoenix, Oct 17 2003


If your solar panels ran a compressor to chill a cooler for your drinks you could have a Bar-brella.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 17 2003


Nice. + (WTAGIPBAN)
-- krelnik, Oct 20 2003


And I thought this was going to be an umbrella collar.. Nice idea [+]
-- dryman, Feb 01 2004



random, halfbakery