Innovation of the week: A more resilient umbrella

last updated 10 January 2015

Design studio Nooka has developed an umbrella called Sa, which uses an origami-inspired design to eliminate the traditional umbrella's canopy wires and replaces them with "a dual canopy that utilizes planar tension," said Liz Stinson at Wired. The result is a "stronger, more resilient" umbrella, with an inner and outer canopy that "expand and contract in unison." The Sa is still in the planning stage; there's a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for manufacturing, and the company hopes to have umbrellas to sell next spring for $69.