Otilia Drăgan
3,722 ARTICLES
A master’s in International Relations, as well as working in online media for more than five years, have given her a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
Homes on wheels, aircraft or boats, these fresh, sometimes quirky, ideas from all over the world are worth sharing.
UX-1Neo the Explorer Is a Next-Generation Underwater Robot, Ready to Dive Deep
1 Jun 2021, 08:00 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Autonomous systems are developing fast and becoming an important part of many industry sectors, where robots can help drastically reduce costs and perform tasks that were previously challenging. Underwater robots are probably one of the best in...
The U.S. Navy’s Undersea Warfare Combat System Is Getting an Upgrade
31 May 2021, 15:13 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / We don’t often think about the Navy ships’ sonar capabilities, because they aren’t as flashy as missiles or other types of weapons, but they are an essential part of a ship’s undersea warfare combat system. And a current res...
Military Planes and Helicopters Look Striking in Russia’s Aviadarts Competition
31 May 2021, 13:48 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / “Meanwhile, in Russia”, as the saying goes, the all-army national competition continues, for all the categories you can imagine, from tanks and armored vehicles to aircraft, and from snipers and riflemen, to signalmen. Russia doesn&rsqu...
Incoming Missiles Don’t Stand a Chance Against Royal Navy Ships’ New AI System
31 May 2021, 12:05 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / The Royal Navy marks another significant moment in its history, as artificial intelligence is tested at sea, against live missiles, for the first time. There’s no doubt that AI and machine learning are becoming a big part of what the future o...
Tanks Get Blown-Up by the Ka-52 Alligator’s Deadly Vikhr Guided Missiles
31 May 2021, 09:59 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / If you thought Russian tanks were some of the toughest things you’ve ever seen, wait ‘till you see them get blown up by the agile Vikhr guided missiles. It looks like size doesn’t matter, after all. We had not heard any news a...
Rolls-Royce’s Aerospace Testbed Is the Largest and Most Advanced in the World
31 May 2021, 08:00 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Derby, UK, is now the place where a groundbreaking aerospace testbed is located and where the cutting-edge UltraFan demonstrator will soon be tested. Rolls-Royce continues on its pioneering path, with not only the largest, but also the most technol...
Russian Adventurer to Go on the First Solar-Powered Solo Pacific Ocean Crossing
31 May 2021, 07:33 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / While others are dreaming about their next vacation, laying on the beach and enjoying a drink, somebody out there is planning a bold expedition with a noble purpose. His name is Fedor Konyukhov and he will complete the first solo crossing of the Pa...
This Innovative Technology Will Help Clear Out Space Debris More Effectively
30 May 2021, 16:25 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / As exciting as it is to hear about new satellites that are being launched into low Earth orbit, the question that should naturally follow is: who’s going to clean up all that junk? Yes, space junk is a real issue and there’s a new techn...
UK Spaceports Get Green Light, First Rocket Launch Expected Next Summer
30 May 2021, 15:50 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / In case you were wondering when rockets could finally be launched from the UK, there’s some good news. You can expect to hear that not only about rockets, but about other fun stuff as well, like high-altitude balloons and spaceplanes, in the ...
Game-Changing Virtual Command Center Demonstrated During U.S. Military Exercise
30 May 2021, 14:50 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / The future of combat missions is starting to look more and more like a scene from Black Mirror. Not only are there all sorts of robot vehicles swarming around and drones flying everywhere, but now there’s a virtual command center that will di...
European Next Generation Fighter Jet Back on Track, First Flight Set for 2027
30 May 2021, 12:25 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / An important step for the European FCAS (Future Combat Air System) was made recently, after France, Germany and Spain reached an agreement regarding the next development phase for the New Generation Fighter (NGF) prototype. The official decision...
Pioneering Robot Submarines for Arctic Research Are Getting Ready in Loch Ness
30 May 2021, 10:40 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / No news about the Loch Ness Monster, but there’s a new robot submarine being tested in the most famous Scottish lake. The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in UK has developed a state-of-the-art version of the Autosub Long Range (ALR) ve...
Torrot’s New Enduro Motorcycles for Kids, Double the Fun While Keeping Them Safe
29 May 2021, 14:05 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / The world of enduro can be just as exciting for kids as it is for adults, as long as parents can make sure that everything is safe and under control. Already known for making motorbikes for children, Torrot has recently launched a second-generation...
Jet Fuel Could Be Made From Recycled Plastic Waste, And It Would Take One Hour
29 May 2021, 12:55 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Thanks to a new technology that’s being developed by Washington State University researchers, jets could be running on fuel obtained from recycled plastic, through a process that takes only an hour. While most of the focus, when it comes t...
Delivery Drones and Air Taxis Could Boost Medical Transport, but Are They Safe?
29 May 2021, 12:50 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / In case you didn’t know, robotaxis are old news and it’s all about air taxis now. While all sorts of self-driving vehicles are slowly making their way in cities throughout the world, drones and electric VTOLs for public services might b...
New Battery-Powered and LNG-Powered Tugboats to Form a Pioneering Green Fleet
29 May 2021, 12:10 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / What’s even better than an environmentally-friendly tugboat? An entire fleet of innovative, low-emissions tugboats. This is a pioneering project that’s great news not just for Canada, but for the world’s maritime industry. Not ...
U.S. Space Force Inaugurates $12.8 Million SWORD Laboratory in New Mexico
28 May 2021, 17:35 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / The U.S. Space Force opened a new, state-of-the-art facility, under the command of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), which looks like it’s going to become one of the most important centers for space warfighting innovation. Are futu...
Volvo Electric Trucks No Longer Silent, Listen to What They Sound Like Now
28 May 2021, 14:46 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / With EU sound regulations for electric vehicles soon coming into effect, Volvo introduced an acoustic alert system for its electric trucks. And it’s not just one sound, but 4 different ones. Volvo’s electric trucks now have a voice. ...
California’s Port of Long Beach Is Offering Huge Bonus to Welcome Green Ships
28 May 2021, 13:42 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / The Port of Long Beach, known for being the second-busiest container port in the U.S., is using one of the best ways to encourage ships even more to switch to green alternatives. There are many paths leading towards sustainable maritime transpo...
Swarms of Networked Weapons Can Adjust Their Response to the Enemy in Real Time
28 May 2021, 13:17 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / The Air Force Golden Horde Vanguard program was recently completed with excellent results, proving that networked collaborative weapons are revolutionizing warfare capabilities. Standard, pre-programmed weapons can only go so far during combat, ...