Japanese firm developing hands-free 'flying umbrella'

OYAMA, JAPAN (THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - An information technology company is developing a drone-based "flying umbrella" that users do not have to hold. Essentially a small unmanned aircraft, the umbrella utilises artificial intelligence to hover above users as they walk. The technology is the work of Asahi Power Service, a company based in Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, that develops telecommunication systems, among other services. The company is currently working on upgrades to a prototype while conducting indoor test flights, with the aim of putting the product into practical use as early as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Company President Kenji Suzuki, 40, proposed the project three years ago after thinking it was "bothersome to open an umbrella when your hands are full".