The autonomous underwater vehicle HUGIN provides us with important information about conditions below the sea surface or on the seabed. This technology is of great importance for ensuring sustainable and safe utilisation of natural resources and operations in the sea.
Good information about conditions below the sea surface is important for offshore activities, marine research, search for wrecks and dumped waste, pipeline inspection and search for sea mines.
To meet these needs, the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), the Navy and Kongsberg Maritime have developed HUGIN, an autonomous underwater vehicle. Autonomous underwater vehicles are unmanned vehicles or underwater robots that operate on their own, without physical connection to a mother vessel. The collaboration has resulted in this highly advanced underwater vehicle that can dive 6,000 meters and operate entirely on its own.
HUGIN can adapt its own operational pattern to fulfil its missions in the best possible way. It does this by interpreting data from various attached sensors. This knowledge is used to analyze the surrounding situation, plan and execute actions.
Innovative technology
Kongsberg Maritime started developing the first autonomous underwater vehicle as early as the 1980s, and in the early 1990s the development of HUGIN began. From the start, the development of the vessel was a joint project between FFI, Statoil, Norwegian Underwater Intervention and Kongsberg Maritime. HUGIN has become an export success in recent years.
Sources:
FFI.no
Kyst.no
Technical Weekly
www.kongsberg.com