People get rice from a 24/7 automatic rice dispensing machine, ‘Rice ATM’, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. — Reuters
Forget video conferencing and contact tracing apps; the coolest innovation in Vietnam during this coronavirus crisis might be the curious mix of human, machine and mobile tech that is the “rice ATM”.
Hundreds form kilometre-long lines at these semi-automated rice distribution centers, which offer free helpings of the Vietnamese staple food to furloughed and laid-off workers struggling to feed their families.
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