Watch this: Watch this giant robotic arm shield the sun
I love being outside, but direct sunlight can be kind of annoying. Fortunately, Los-Angeles-based robotics startup ShadeCraft has come up with a seriously cool solution — the Sunflower.
The Sunflower is an autonomous patio umbrella/shade that has a ridiculous amount of tech packed into it, all designed to keep you comfortable no matter the outdoor conditions. ShadeCraft says the Sunflower won’t be ready until 2018, but here’s a list of its promised smarts:
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
- Solar-powered
- Built-in security camera
- Integrated lighting
- Built-in sensors
- Related SmartShade app for Android and iPhone
Check out all the smart home products at CES 2017 (so far)
While we’ve seen all sorts of cool one-off products and ideas expand into bigger trends — Amazon Echo, anyone? — we haven’t seen anything quite like Sunflower before. It certainly seems like a clever way to manage the sun, but we’ll just have to see it for ourselves. We’re tracking down Sunflower here at CES for hands-on photos and video, so check back soon.
