Spatiotemporal path planning in strong, dynamic, uncertain currents

Abstract— This work addresses mission planning for autonomous underwater gliders based on predictions of an uncertain, time-varying current eld. Glider submersibles are highly sensitive to prevailing currents so mission planners must account for ocean tides and eddies. Previous work in variablecurrent path planning assumes that current predictions are perfect, but in practice these forecasts may be inaccurate. Here we evaluate plan fragility using empirical tests on historical ocean forecasts for which followup data is available. We present methods for glider path planning and control in a time-varying current field. A case study scenario in the Southern California Bight uses current predictions drawn from the Regional Ocean Monitoring System (ROMS).

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: ICRA
• Authors: David R. Thompson, Steve Chien, Yi Chao, Peggy Li, Bronwyn Cahill, Julia Levin, Oscar Schofield, Arjuna Balasuriya, Stephanie Petillo, Matt Arrott, Michael Meisinger
• Keywords: Current Predictions, Glider, ICRA 2010, Robotics, Time-varying Current Eld