LumaSafe Umbrella
2026
Innovative Product Award
Winner
LumaSafe Umbrella
Designers / Creators / Authors / Leaders
Nguyễn Minh Anh (Product Systems Engineer), Trần Quốc Bảo (Urban Safety Designer)
The LumaSafe Umbrella is a solar-powered, illuminated umbrella designed to improve pedestrian safety on poorly lit roads, particularly for children traveling at dusk or after dark.
Widely used across Vietnam due to frequent rainfall and sun exposure, the umbrella becomes a dual-purpose safety tool. Integrated into its structure are discreet LED light strips powered by a compact solar panel embedded in the canopy. During the day, the umbrella harvests solar energy; at night, it provides soft, continuous illumination.
The light not only helps users see their surroundings but, crucially, ensures they are clearly visible to drivers and other road users.
The project builds on an object already embedded in daily life, avoiding the need for behavioral change. Instead of introducing new devices, it enhances an existing one, ensuring immediate adoption and usability.
Its design prioritizes:
Affordability and scalability for widespread distribution
Energy autonomy through solar integration
Non-intrusive safety that works passively in the background
The jury awards the LumaSafe Umbrella for its intelligent fusion of sustainability, safety, and everyday usability. By rethinking a ubiquitous object, the project delivers an elegant solution to a widespread problem. It exemplifies how innovative product design can be both technically simple and socially transformative.
