Necessity is the mother of invention, especially when you’re looking for a way to move your boat.

We found a recent example of that on the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where a barge operator unveiled what was, to our eyes, a novel propulsion system. But we suspect it’s been used before.

Click here for video of this “new” propulsion technology.

The footage was shot from a high-rise residence along the river. As the saying goes, whatever floats your boat … whatever moves your boat. We suspect this “new” innovation won’t be making its way to the United States anytime soon.