Science •
Hanoi’s Rice Farmers Fly Drones Like Orchestra Conductors
By Syed John
Precision agriculture hits the Mekong Delta with choreography.
Vietnamese farmers now choreograph drone swarms for seeding and pesticide spraying. They stand on dikes waving augmented-reality batons that sync fleets in perfect arcs. It's part agriculture, part ballet.
The drones aren’t fancy; they're rugged and cheap. The choreography matters because it prevents overlap, saves chemicals, and looks mesmerizing. Tourists pay to watch dawn performances where drones paint the sky above rice terraces.
Agritech usually feels sterile. In Hanoi, it's a cultural performance. Efficiency plus aesthetics equals a trend worth exporting.