{"id":12612,"date":"2026-09-24T15:38:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nyheter.ntnu.no\/?p=12612"},"modified":"2026-09-24T15:43:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:43:10","slug":"ntnu-buys-superdrone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nyheter.ntnu.no\/en\/ntnu-buys-superdrone\/","title":{"rendered":"NTNU buys \u201csuperdrone\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At the Nordic Defence and Security Conference, a group including the Minister of Defence and NTNU\u2019s Rector announced that the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre is acquiring a HUGIN 6000 from Kongsberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik highlighted that Norway is at its best where conditions are salty, wet and cold, and pointed to the critical infrastructure in deep waters that is essential both to Norway\u2019s export revenues and Europe\u2019s energy security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNorway is a world leader in maritime research and ocean autonomy. HUGIN is the result of long-term technological collaboration between the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and Kongsberg. It is a good example of a Norwegian high-tech success story. Dual-use technology strengthens our defence capabilities. When civilian and military technology development work together, we build national expertise that can accelerate development and innovation,\u201d said Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HUGIN drone can dive to a depth of 6,000 metres, enabling it to cover all Norwegian territorial waters. It can map between two and four square kilometres of seabed per hour, has a very high-resolution camera and can operate for three days without recharging its batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expanding research opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith HUGIN, our research communities will gain access to an advanced underwater drone that offers tremendous opportunities to explore and better understand the ocean. The Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre is important for Norway\u2019s ability to maintain its position as a high-tech maritime nation. For us as a leading university, the acquisition of HUGIN is also an important part of advancing autonomous vessels, which also are important for protecting oil and gas pipelines as well as internet and power cables,\u201d said Rector Tor Grande.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HUGIN will become part of the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre\u2019s growing fleet of ocean research equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arne Rinnan, EVP and CTO at Kongsberg, explained that HUGIN was developed in collaboration with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment 35 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHUGIN is the autonomous underwater robot that can travel far and deep, and that you can expect to return when it has completed its mission. Its reliability, robustness and ability to observe objects on the seabed and in the water column are unmatched,\u201d said Rinnan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that Kongsberg is looking forward to many years of collaboration with NTNU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am pleased that researchers at the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre will contribute to the further development of this technology. This will probably be the largest investment in the Fjordlab part of the centre,\u201d said the Minister of Defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"En
The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment\u2019s (FFI) HUGIN before a mission in Lake Mj\u00f8sa. Next year, NTNU may use its own HUGIN to map Lake Mj\u00f8sa. Photo: Merete Nyheim \/ NTNU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

NTNU\u2019s underwater drones have been used for everything from locating bombs and grenades from the Second World War and mapping climate conditions in the Barents Sea to repairing a cable in the Baltic Sea after it was sabotaged.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunities for research and development are now being expanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 The goal is to develop the technology and autonomy of tomorrow. And at the same time also giving researchers the opportunity to collect ocean data of a quality that provides new insights into the processes shaping the ocean, said Martin Ludvigsen. He works as Professor at the Department of Marine Technology and Project Manager for the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre \u2013 Fjordlab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will lead the development of NTNU\u2019s HUGIN platform together with a larger team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 The HUGIN drone is an incredible platform for collaboration, where researchers from different parts of NTNU can work together, said Grande, highlighting security, biology, monitoring and the Arctic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wide range of applications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Autonomous and uncrewed vehicles above and below the sea surface will increasingly operate without expensive support vessels. They will also increasingly collaborate with one another to carry out missions. Underwater vehicles will remain submerged for longer periods and perform missions from beneath the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 NTNU is at the forefront of education, research and innovation in technologies and methods for the remote operation of autonomous vehicles, from the ocean to outer space. This benefits ocean management and value creation in industries such as offshore oil and gas, offshore wind, fisheries, aquaculture and shipping, and increasingly also security and emergency preparedness, said Asgeir J. S\u00f8rensen, Professor at the Department of Marine Technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He highlighted that the investment in HUGIN and the collaboration with Kongsberg represent a significant boost to capacity building that will strengthen Norway\u2019s national capabilities and presence in Norwegian waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate insights and defence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NTNU\u2019s HUGIN will also be used to collect data for natural and social science research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe HUGIN platform is the most effective tool we have for improving our understanding of what is happening underwater. NTNU\u2019s current equipment takes two to three days to map the same area that a HUGIN can cover in one hour,\u201d said Martin Ludvigsen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NTNU\u2019s marine robotics research community is already involved in a number of major research projects in Norway and internationally. It is also involved in several research project applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\tThis is HUGIN 6000<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t
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