Local Inventor In Contest To Sell Product At Wal-Mart

Finding shade and a cooling mist can be difficult outside during the summer. But one local inventor thinks he’s come up with a solution. And his product could end up on sale to millions of people through the largest retail chain in the world.

Carlos Kato, inventor of the Personal Misting Umbrella, came up with the idea on his way home to his East El Paso home two summers ago.

“I saw a woman sitting at a bus stop and she had a bag of groceries, one of those spray water bottles, and an umbrella. And she was spraying herself off,” Kato said. “I thought, ‘Man, she’s carrying a lot of stuff. Maybe I can make something easier.'”

Kato has collaborated with a company to design a prototype. He explained that the umbrella would be lined with tubes and a container with water that would be released with a button. He tried the design by disassembling his daughter’s Super Soaker water gun.

“I used the tubing that comes out for the water and I added a mister to it,” Kato said. “I pressurized the tank and I fired it, and it actually worked.”

His invention is among dozens in a contest called Get On The Shelf, sponsored by Wal-Mart. The winning invention gets a spot on the shelves at the retail giant and on the store’s website. The first round of voting ends at 9:59 Tuesday night local time.

Voting takes place through Facebook or by texting “1914” to 38-38-38.

You can find the link to learn more about the product and voting here.