LIGHTHOUSE owns two state-of-the-art AUVs: one HUGIN 4500+ and one GAVIA OFFSHORE SURVEYOR.

Our HUGIN 4500+ is an autonomous underwater vehicle AUV, designed and built in Norway by Kongsberg and able to investigate the bottom of the oceans to the utmost depths.

The vehicle is fully autonomous, it is equipped with a state-of-the-art set of equipment and is capable of acquiring geophysical and environmental data up to a maximum depth of 4500 m. Part of the vehicle’s payload consists of a camera and laser camera that allows the acquisition of very high resolution images, while further processing enables the 3D photogrammetric reconstructions of objects detected on the seabed. An additional advantage of the system is the ability to survey in pipe tracking mode: this acoustic tracking mode allows the acquisition of a geophysical survey by following a pipeline in automatic mode.

The HUGIN 4500+ is installed on board Lighthouse’s own vessel Nautical Geo.

Key features

  • Very stable and low noise hydrodynamic platform for payload sensors
  • High manoeuvrability providing terrain following and turning radius of 15m
  • Operating depths of 4500 m
  • Operator supervised, semiautonomous or autonomous operation
  • State of the art Aided Inertial Navigation System (AINS)
  • Provides sound technical solutions to the demands of modern navies
  • Latest battery technology with up to 30 hours endurance at 3 knots
  • Highly flexible configuration and integration of payload systems

Payload Sensors

  • Kongsberg EM2040 0.7 x 0.7 deg. Multibeam Echo Sunder
  • Kongsberg HISAS1032 Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar
  • Edgetech SBP DW-216 2-16 KhZ
  • OFG SCM 6k, self-compensating magnetometer
  • Nortek ADCP DVL currents meter
  • Cathx Ocean still image color camera M12 A1000 F1.4 48.5 deg FOV
  • Cathx camera and laser profile M12 A1000 F1.4
  • WetLabs FLNTU turbidity sensor
  • Franatech Methane sensor METS (10nM-1uM)
  • Contros HydroC CO2 and PAH sensors

Our Gavia Offshore Surveyor AUV is a self contained, low logistics, modular survey platform, capable of delivering high quality data while operating from vessels of opportunity or from shore.

The equipment comprises of MBES, SSS and SBP and will allow LIGHTHOUSE to perform detailed surveys down to 1000m water depth and to work very close to platforms and targets. Very easy deployment, great data quality and fast survey execution are the main benefits of this AUV.

Key features

  • Greatest depth rating of vehicles in its class – rated to 1000m
  • Low logistics, modular survey platform
  • Wide range of sensor options including SSS, SBP, and swath bathymetry
  • High accuracy, survey-grade INS navigation with USBL and LBL aiding