App-based Modeng Umbrellas will soon be launched in Shenzhen, with 50,000 umbrellas being put into use across the city in the first round, a press conference was told Friday afternoon.
The shared umbrellas are being launched by Zhejiang Modeng Network Science Co. Ltd. In the next 18 months, a total of 2 million such umbrellas will be put into use, said Jia Yong, the company’s founder. Users will pay 0.49 yuan (US$0.07) for every half an hour. The fee is capped after 24 hours, with a maximum cost of 2.97 yuan a day, sznews.com reported.
Jia explained that Modeng umbrellas are multifunctional, being used in sunny, rainy and cloudy weather. There are lights on the umbrella that indicate seven statuses. Users will know promptly whether an umbrella is out of order, normal or reserved. As to the costs, a 99-yuan deposit is needed. Users pay 0.49 yuan for every half an hour, with a maximum of 2.97 yuan. During the first use, the user’s account will be bound to Sesame Credit, a credit-scoring system affiliate of Alibaba. Jia expressed that Modeng hopes to drive consumption through credit.
At the conference, Jia announced that 50,000 umbrellas will be placed at places such as subway stations, schools and bank outlets in Shenzhen next month. He added that after the first round, places of the second round of umbrellas will focus on communities, while the third will fully cover the main spots according to background data. “Modeng aims to put 2 million umbrellas into use across Shenzhen within 18 months, so that people can really go out without taking an umbrella,” Jia said.
Yi Xinyu, CEO of the company, told reporters that in order to overturn the existing umbrella sharing experience, and to allow users to use the Modeng umbrellas more easily, the app removed the traditional advertising pages in the login process, and placed the registration page at the end. No verification code or mobile phone number are needed except for the deposit.
In addition, users can also use WeChat or Alipay to scan the QR code to use the umbrella. When it is raining, the umbrellas can be unlocked in less than 3 seconds. To return the umbrellas, users can put it directly in one of the smart stations, which are solar power. In addition, the smart stations have functions like positioning, monitoring and calling the police.
As for the umbrella’s materials, the frame is made of composite glass fiber. The shaft is made of a high-strength 0.5 mm thick steel rod and anti-cracking elastic plastics. The fabric is made waterproof with nano coating technology and reaches UPF1000+, 25 times higher than the national standard. The interior white fabric can be used as a reflector board when taking selfies. And the octagonal shape is designed to resist gale-force winds.
The conference also invited Ohara Koji, a Japanese umbrella-making master, to deliver a speech, followed by a discussion on the development of umbrella-sharing.
