HUGIN Endurance AUV completes milestone autonomous mission

Kongsberg Discovery has reached a new milestone in the development of its HUGIN Endurance AUV after completing a multi-week, fully autonomous mission. Following a final navigation update from a pre-deployed transponder ten hours into the dive, the eight-ton, 40-foot autonomous underwater vehicle operated independently for the remainder of the mission. It required no human intervention or external navigational assistance while covering depths from 50 metres to 3,400 metres and reaching a total range of 1,200 nautical miles. The AUV returned with a position error of just 0.02% of the total distance travelled.

This mission was designed to push the vehicle to its limits in a real-world scenario and validate the design specifications of the HUGIN Endurance. It involved straight-line transits ranging from 60 to 300 nautical miles, as well as survey areas covering 36 square nautical miles. Within 48 hours, the AUV captured high-resolution synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) imagery and bathymetry using Kongsberg’s HISAS 1032 Dual Rx system. Additional data, including camera imagery and laser profiling, was also collected from altitudes as low as nine metres.

Savings in time and resources

Espen Henriksen, executive vice president of Kongsberg’s Uncrewed Platforms Division, noted that the success of this mission demonstrated the operational capability of HUGIN Endurance from shore to shore. By eliminating the need for a surface ship, the system offers significant savings in time and resources, making it an efficient solution for customers. Henriksen emphasized the dedication of the team that made these capabilities a reality, acknowledging their hard work in bringing this innovation to Kongsberg’s AUV portfolio.

Rich Patterson, vice president of sales for the Uncrewed Platforms Division, also highlighted the contributions of the engineering and operations teams, who played a critical role in ensuring the success of the mission. According to Patterson, the mission not only validated the design but also confirmed that the HUGIN autonomy framework can handle complex, multi-day missions without any human interaction. This marks a significant advancement in the operational capabilities that Kongsberg can now offer to its customers.

Although the mission’s success was expected, it reinforced HUGIN Endurance’s readiness for real-world deployment and demonstrated its capabilities as a reliable AUV platform.