Dutch Umbrella, the free umbrella sharing system in Philadelphia's Fairmount neighborhood, is to trial RFID tracking in its brollies. Several local businesses have "RainDrops"; essentially umbrella stands where the ad-emblazoned umbrellas can be picked up and dropped off. The scheme was started by bartender Joe Carlson and the name was inspired by a bicycle sharing scheme in Amsterdam, Holland.
The trial will see Motorola RFID tags embedded into the umbrellas' handles. A Dutch Umbrella staff member will periodically visit the RainDrops and skim data from the chips, which will then be passed on to the advertisers.
The tracking will not be in real time. It seems that the only data will be where the umbrellas were picked up and dropped off, and when, but this should be enough to let the advertisers know people's routes in the rain. The service will cost them $100 per month, which could turn out to be a little costly if there is a drought. Might I suggest taking this scheme to England, and especially to Manchester, where rain is almost guaranteed.
Product page [Dutch Umbrella via Daily Wireless]
