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By Kate Elizabeth Queram Hafmynd, based in Reykjavik, Iceland, develops and manufactures underwater technologies. Originally formed as a result of a collaboration with the University of Iceland in order to study seafloor impacts due to fishing, the company is now best known for its Gavia Northern Diver Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). "The name Gavia was suggested to us by Professor Jorundur Svavarsson at the University of Iceland," said Arnar Steingrimsson, Marketing Manager. "Gavia is short for Gavia Immer, which is the Latin name for a bird that is local to Iceland and parts of North America. The bird is referred to as "the great northern diver" for its diving skills, which are remarkable," suggesting that the div- ing capabilities of the AUV - which weighs a scant 150 lbs. and is depth- rated to 2,000 m — are worthy of the name. For all its fanfare, the premise of the Gavia Northern Diver is relatively simple. Customers purchase the base model of the AUV, which consists of four major parts: a nose cone, a bat- tery module, a command/control module, and a propulsion module. The base model is a fully functional unit, but can be tailored for specific missions by adding or taking away sensors and modules. For example, a standard configuration for a scien- tific mission adds to the base model: an optical backscatter sensor, a side scan sonar unit, a nose cone camera, and an ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler). According to the company, Gavia is unique in its user-friendly modular design; meaning it can be taken apart and reconfigured to perform a range of tasks - all by hand. Modules are Hafmynd (Gavia) Putting The Pieces Together profile "Gavia is short for Gavia Immer, which is the Latin name for a bird that is local to Iceland and parts of North America. The bird is referred to as "the great northern diver" for its diving skills, which are remarkable" — Arnar Steingrimsson 42 MTR November 2005 Photo C r edit: Kevin Du r ose MTR#3 (33-48).qxd 11/15/2005 3:59 PM Page 42
