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Autonomous underwater vehicles -
HUGIN AUV's
Flexible systems with unmatched performance
Our HUGIN range of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles offer the ultimate in autonomous
remote subsea survey capability. These free-swimming autonomous underwater vehicles are characterized
by great manoeuvrability and high accuracy of stabilization. Hydrodynamic shape,
accurate instruments and excellent battery capacity makes these AUV's ideal choices.
Available versions
HUGIN is available in several configurations and depth ratings. The main depth ratings are:
- 1000 metre
- 3000 metre
- 4500 metre
Customer selectable payload configurations
Because our HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicles can function without tethers,
cables, or remote control, they have a multitude of applications in oceanography,
environmental monitoring, and underwater resource studies. A key element in the
HUGIN concept is the application of a common technology that makes the systems adaptable
for navy and commercial applications. Our modular design allows different payload
configurations, depending on the customers needs.
Commercial applications
- High-resolution high-speed seabed mapping and imaging
- Geophysical site inspection
- Pipeline and subsea structure inspection
- Oceanographic surveys
- Environmental monitoring
- Marine geological survey
- Search operations
Defence applications
- Mine countermeasures - MCM
- Rapid environmental assessment - REA
- Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance - ISR
Payloads
Hugin AUVs can be equipped with a multitude of different payloads. Examples of the available payload sensors include:
- HISAS (High Resolution Iterferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar) rated to 3000 m
- EM2040 Multibeam Echosounder
- Sidescan sonar
- Sub-bottom profiler
- Still image camera
- Turbidity sensor
- ADCP
- Methane sensor
One of the key characterstics of the HUGIN Payload System is that all sensors can operate together, and the data is time stamped at source making
accurate georeferencing straight forward.
Real time communication
HUGIN AUVs are equipped with acoustic communication links providing real time status monitoring of the vehicle and payload sensors. The acoustic links also add the capability to receive payload
data from the HUGIN in real time as a quality measure, ensuring an effective survey.
Three operational modes
The vehicle can be operated in autonomous, semi-autonomous or supervised modes.
An autonomous mission has no operator input and follows a preplanned route meeting survey objectives along the way. A semi-autonomous mission also follows a preplanned route, but gives the operator
the chance to monitor the mission status.
A supervised mission provides the operator with real time payload data for quality management purposes and also ensures the best position accuracy by updating the HUGIN using a HiPAP USBL system.
Optimized Modular Configuration
The HUGIN AUV is configured to pack as many sensors and energy into the vehicle body while ensuring it is as compact as possible. The body arrangement is standard across the range, and includes the
ability to add extra cylindrical payload modules, providing a built-in upgrade path.
Autonomous underwater vehicle operator station
The Operator Station includes a monitor and an operator panel with interfaces to payload operator stations and vessel mounted sensors like dGPS, HiPAP, ship attitude sensor, acoustic link and RF
link systems.
Customer benefits
- Very stable and low noise hydrodynamic platform for payload sensors
- High manoeuvrability providing terrain following and turning radius of 15 metres
- Operating depths of 1000, 3000 and 4500 metres
- Operator supervised ("acoustic tether"), semiautonomous or autonomous operation
- State of the art Aided Inertial Navigation System (AINS)
- Provides robustness and sound technical solutions to the demands of modern navies
- Latest battery technology with up to 100 hours endurance at 4 knots
- Highly flexible configuration and integration of payload systems
- Typical payload sensors are synthetic aperture sonar or side-scan sonar, multibeam echo sounder, sub-bottom profiler, CTD and volume search sonar
Kongsberg 24/7 AUV Support
When you purchase a HUGIN AUV you join the HUGIN family. This means access to support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The HUGIN family also provides upgrades, advice, training and participation in
our AUV user conference where ideas and experience are shared.
Our AUV history
In the mid-eighties we developed a small Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)
for technology and test purposes. In the early 1990s the HUGIN project was started as a cooperation
between Statoil, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), Norsk Undervannsintervensjon
(NUI) and KONGSBERG. Today we lead the AUV market with our HUGIN concept.
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