Handling an umbrella while attempting to read a map and a guidebook requires more dexterity than most mortals possess, let alone tourists trying to navigate a peculiar city. And that’s not counting when the umbrella tulips, or the spokes snap. There must be an engineer somewhere who has a better way to keep the rain off.

Of course there is. Only Daryn Peterson is a doctor in Tokyo, not an engineer.

His “Katabrella” is a polypropylene tube that screws into the bottom of any foldable umbrella and then loops snugly around the shoulder. With the tube in place, the umbrella perches securely above the wearer’s head, leaving his or her hands free to manage that aforementioned guidebook. Best of all, the getup doesn’t look as ridiculous as those hat-umbrellas occasionally given out as party favors. Since the Katabrella attaches to a regular umbrella, it looks normal at a casual glance.

Dr. Peterson has sold 50,000 Katabrellas ($12.95 plus shipping) since he started producing them in April. Though he manufactures them in China, he can mail them to New Yorkers through his Web site, www.kanarazunaoru.com. The site is in Japanese, but there’s a link to the English version on the upper right hand corner.

Dr. Peterson’s invention isn’t the only development in the world of umbrellas. Washington-based Bright Night’s illuminated umbrella ($38), introduced last year, seems to offer everything anyone could ever need in an umbrella, and then some: an extra strength handle made from a polycarbonate material, a Teflon-coated nylon cover, and a highly reflective interior coating designed to reflect the umbrella’s krypton light. The light gives these colorful umbrellas an impressive neon look, but it has the disadvantage of blinding the user walking down a dark street, as it prevents the eyes from adjusting properly to the night. The light comes in handy when checking a map, however, or fumbling for keys.

No discussion of the latest in umbrellas would be complete without mention of the dog umbrella ($20) by Shaw Creations, carried at most pet stores. The dog umbrella looks like a regular umbrella blown inside out and then held upside-down, so that the umbrella’s dome is projected toward the ground; picture a walking stick with an umbrella attached at the bottom. Probably most useful for car travelers forced to pull off the highway to walk their canine friends in inclement weather, the dog umbrella can be held over the animal while the pet owner remains dry in the car. The clear material allows the owner to keep an eye on the pet, and a leash running from the center of the umbrella to the dog’s collar ensures that pet and owner won’t be separated. Of course, no matter how well the device protects dogs from the rain, it’s no good against the jeers of cat owners.