University of Gothenburg orders new HUGIN AUV to replace lost “Ran”
The University of Gothenburg is set to resume its Antarctic research with a new HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from Kongsberg Discovery. The purchase agreement follows the loss of Ran beneath the Thwaites Glacier in 2024 and is funded by a major donation from Voice of the Ocean together with insurance compensation, enabling new expeditions.
“Thanks to Ran, we became the first researchers in the world to enter beneath the Thwaites grounding-line glacier. Although ice melt and movement can be observed through satellite data, we were able to get close-up images of the underside of the ice and detailed information about the exact mechanisms driving the melting,” said Anna Wåhlin, professor of oceanography, who led the expedition with Ran in Antarctica.
Better capacity
The new HUGIN – one of the world’s most successful commercial autonomous underwater vehicles – is equipped with a 3,000-metre depth rating and high-resolution sensors capable of measuring topography, currents and water properties simultaneously. It combines IHO-quality positioning with advanced navigation and robust data collection, making it ideal for missions in extreme and inaccessible environments such as beneath glaciers and sea ice.
Kongsberg Discovery’s executive vice president for sales and marketing, Stene Førsund, welcomes the continuation of the work with a new AUV. “The new vehicle Ran II will have better capacity than Ran, with more robust emergency decision support and improved navigation. These upgrades enhance both safety and precision in hard-to-reach environments such as beneath glaciers and sea ice and near the seabed,” he said.
With Ran II, the University of Gothenburg’s research team will once again be able to explore the hidden frontiers beneath Antarctic ice – continuing their vital mission to understand how the planet’s most remote regions are changing.
