Offshore staff
KONGSBERG, Norway – Kongsberg Maritime has launched the next generation of its HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).
Named HUGIN Endurance, the new AUV boosts operational duration to about 15 days, enabling extended survey and inspection missions far from shore. This longevity allows the new AUV to undertake extensive missions without the support of a mothership.
It is capable of mission ranges up to 2,200 km (1,367 mi), according to the company. This is equivalent to the sailing distance from New York City to Cuba.
The company has added its Maritime Broadband Radio (MBR) communications system to HUGIN Endurance’s payload, allowing it to surface and share large quantities of data swiftly with any suitably equipped installation, such as another vessel, shore station or a wind turbine fitted with an MBR antenna.
The new AUV can be equipped with a wide array of sensors including the high-resolution KONGSBERG HiSAS synthetic aperture sonar, a wide swath multibeam echosounder, sub-bottom profiler and magnetometer, together with other sensors to detect parameters such as methane, current and turbidity.
According to the company, this proven portfolio of hydroacoustic sensors, communications and other technologies – teamed with unparalleled operational range – ensures that the AUV is well equipped for advanced situational awareness scanning, and mapping/inspection activities for far-field applications such as offshore wind farms.
Richard Mills, vice president of Marine Robotics Sales, Kongsberg Maritime, said: “Teaming long endurance with large area coverage capabilities allows a single AUV to map areas up to 1,100 sq km [425 sq mi] in a single mission – a target impossible until now. With its unprecedented long-range capability and advanced communications, HUGIN Endurance sets a new standard for autonomous subsea mapping and inspection, yielding unmatched operational flexibility, efficiency and sustainability.”
02/04/2021
