It's hot in the middle east. Real hot. That's why the global soccer community wasn't exactly thrilled about the prospect of heading over to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. Average high temperatures in the desert nation exceed 100-degrees Fahrenheit from May through Septemberthe World Cup is scheduled for June and July. While there was some talk of shifting the tournament into January when the high temps clock in at a comfy 72 degrees, the Qatari authorities have suggested another solution: building a fleet of gigantic remote controlled artificial clouds that will hover over stadiums to provide shade.
You may recognize this plot directly from a Simpsons episode, however the Quatari authorities are apparently quite serious about the endeavor (though I do like to imagine them tenting their fingers while grinning out a mischievous "excellent"). The head of Qatar University's school of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering recently unveiled the design for the roving hunter-shaders. The robo-clouds will be filled with helium, constructed out of ultra light carbonic materials, and move about via four solar powered engines. What is essentially a large hovering blimp platform will set in place over stadiums and slowly shift position with the sun to cover the field of play.
The initial cost for the project will run about $500,000 per "cloud." But, according to the design team at Qatar U, the price tag might decrease upon launching commercial versions of the tech. They foresee personal clouds used at beaches and parking lots and summoned by mobile phone. So, if you find yourself in Qatar and feeling overwhelmed by the elements, you simply send a text and a little floating platform will hover above to offer some respite.
One day your grandchildren may ask you what this "umbrella" thing they read about in history class and why don't people use them anywhere. You can tell them it all started in a small desert monarchy where the powers that be decided a roving artificial cloud was a more practical solution to combating the heat than building a domed stadium.
via The Peninula
