Unveiled at a launch event in Horten, Norway in december, Kongsberg Maritime’s new HUGIN SUPERIOR AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) System introduces significantly enhanced data, positioning and endurance capabilities that together will stimulate a positive step-change in subsea survey operations for commercial, government, and naval users.

Leveraging and improving on the power of the already de facto industry standard HUGIN technology platform, and its experience as a trailblazer in maritime autonomy since it pioneered Dynamic Positioning in the seventies, Kongsberg Maritime has created a game-changing new AUV generation that places data quality and its reliable and cost-effective collection front and centre.

The HUGIN SUPERIOR platform packages the very latest technologies into one system delivering twice the area. It is equipped with the new HISAS 1032 Dual Receiver Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) which generates approx. 1000 metres swath at 2.5 knots for SAS imagery, real aperture and SAS bathymetry, with consistent resolution over the entire swath (typically 5 x 5 cm in mission imagery). The system also features the de facto industry standard EM2040 mk II multibeam.

Configurable for diverse applications, a class-leading data suite with upgraded SAS processing, sidescan sonar imagery, bathymetry, sub-bottom profiler, camera, laser, magnetometer, turbidity and diverse environmental sensors for i.e., methane and CO2 measurement, ensure that the new HUGIN is as ready for field development surveys and pipeline inspection as it is for environmental monitoring or wreck searches.

Contributing to improved data confidence for users at sea and ashore, the HUGIN SUPERIOR utilises sophisticated positioning technology, with in mission standard navigation rated twice as effective as other AUV platforms, including current HUGIN models. Operating HUGIN SUPERIOR now costs less with fewer external updates needed, and with new potential for concurrent revenue generation, further economic efficiencies can be achieved.

The new HUGIN SUPERIOR also comes with a 30% increase in energy capacity on board, without changing form factor or size. While raising the bar in terms of extending mission endurance, the extra power available can also be used to maintain current levels of endurance while adding more sensors, increasing productive survey time and contributing even more to reduced OPEX.

“The new HUGIN SUPERIOR AUV System is available alongside the existing HUGIN and MUNIN AUV Systems, expanding our product portfolio to cover all market segments and performance requirements,” said Richard Mills, Director, Marine Robotics Sales, Kongsberg Maritime. “Our new flagship AUV is designed to deliver superior data, positioning and mission endurance, enabling users to do more with a single asset than ever before. Ultimately, it can generate much more data for less operational expenditure, all while offering the best survey class data quality, achieved through advanced techniques such as in-situ navigation processing and data cleaning.”