The HUGIN AUV "Plug and play" payload system

A flexible and extensible payload system has been developed for the HUGIN family of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). An important feature of the system is that it allows the HUGIN developers, the payload developers, or a third party, to develop interface software for each payload. The software is integrated in such a way that the vehicle operators can then mix and match payloads integrated by different parties. The HUGIN payload system has been used extensively in commercial missions over the last years, and the number of supported payloads is steadily growing. This paper explains the design of the subsea and topside segments of the payload system, and describes some of the important aspects of payload system integration in an AUV.