University of Gothenburg Selects HUGIN AUV to Expand Autonomy in Marine Research

The University Of Gothenburg, Sweden, has chosen Kongsberg Maritime’s HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to expand Sweden’s capabilities in the field of marine research using unmanned platforms. The HUGIN, which will be funded by grants from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and managed by a project team with representatives from the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology and Stockholm University, will be recognised as a national asset for marine research projects around Sweden and further afield.

The University of Gothenburg has chosen a HUGIN configuration rated to 3,000 metres, with a range of up to 300km. The AUV is due for delivery in February 2018 and will feature an advanced KONGSBERG navigation system in addition to an extensive package of KONGSBERG and third party instruments and sensors, including an EM 2040 Multibeam echo sounder and environmental sensors such as the Contros HydroC®CO2. Kongsberg will also deliver a HUGIN Operator Station (HOS) Payload Operator Station (POS) and Acoustic Positioning Operator Station (APOS) for communication and full control of the HUGIN and payload from the mothership.

Extending Research Potential

According to Anna Wåhlin, Professor in Oceanography, the University of Gothenburg need to focus more on increasing their use of autonomous observation platforms. The HUGIN AUV is expected to significantly expand the ability to map ice, seabed and explore marine environments previously inaccessible to the University. Kongsberg won the contract based on flexibility, experience, future expansion possibilities and price. HUGIN is set to become an important tool in the University’s on-going research in waters closer to Sweden, for example, in the Skagerrak and the Baltic Sea in addition to projects in the Antarctic and Arctic.

Atle Gran, sales manager Marin Robotics, Kongsberg Maritime, adds that HUGIN AUVs are often seen as a commercial platform for offshore exploration & production operations or for naval applications such as mine countermeasures. They have also completed tens of thousands of survey kilometres and countless research projects for academic and marine science organisations.