The ÆGIR 6000 is a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) designed by Kystdesign AS, Norway. It is a national facility that is operated by the Norwegian Marine Robotics Laboratory (NORMAR) at the University of Bergen (UiB).
ÆGIR 6000 is an instrument that is revolutionizing what is known about deep sea areas. An ROV is an unmanned submersible tethered to the ship through the moon pool by umbilical and tether management system (TMS), a deep-sea deployable winch with 1000 m range. It is a piece of equipment capable of exploring the bottom of the ocean at close range while being remotely operated from the ship. The arms of the ROV, commonly called manipulators, are equipped with delicate pincers for taking targeted samples, and the unit contains seven cameras that help technicians see what is being grabbed. ÆGIR 6000 has a wide range of payload options to carry utility equipment, e.g. coring devices, a gas sampler to catch gas bubbles, a water sampler to collect water, geochemical and oceanographic sensors or a multibeam system for cm-scale imaging of the ocean floor.