Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Hugin

Hugin is available in several configurations and depth ratings. The main depth ratings are:

• 3000 meter
• 4500 meter
• 6000 meter

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.

Key features

• Very stable and low noise hydrodynamic platform for payload sensors
• High manoeuvrability providing terrain following and turning radius of 15 metres
• Operating depths of 3000, 4500 and 6000 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, camera, CTD and volume search sonar

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)
• EM2040 Multibeam Echosounder
• Sidescan sonar
• Sub-bottom profiler
• Still image camera
• Turbidity sensor
• ADCP
• Methane sensor

One of the key characteristics 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 vehicle 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.

A collection of Hugin autonomous underwater vehicle - AUV videos.

Using HUGIN AUV for inspection

HUGIN AUV concept

Kongsberg 24/7 AUV Support

When you purchase a Hugin AUV you join our 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.