Non-Gaussian Estimation of a Potential Flow by an Actuated Lagrangian Sensor Steered to Separating Boundaries by Augmented Observability

This article presents an architecture for estimation of a flow field using a hypothetical oceanographic vehicle that is guided along paths of high flow-field observability, a concept quantifying the informativeness of a path. Sampling trajectories that pass close to saddle points along separating boundaries of invariant sets provide high observability of flow-field parameters. The estimation and control framework consists of a model predictive...