Abstract Underwater gliders are autonomous in situ platforms used in oceanographic research. We focus on their application to reconstructing the three-dimensional hydrographic structure of mesoscale eddies by addressing three challenges: efficiently interpolating glider-sampled data, optimally designing glider travel paths, and adaptively controlling glider trajectories in the presence of ocean currents. We develop a thin plate spline (TPS) interpolation scheme with a blocking strategy that significantly reduces computational cost while preserving accuracy. We then formulate a path design procedure to identify trajectory configurations that minimize reconstruction error. Finally, we propose an adaptive control algorithm that enables gliders to travel along the designed paths under realistic oceanic conditions. Evaluations based on a simulated and a real eddy show that the TPS-based interpolation produces more accurate temperature and salinity fields than existing methods, while the designed path configurations effectively balance spatial coverage and sampling efficiency. The adaptive control algorithm enables gliders to maintain designated trajectories and ensure safe return even under strong currents. Our study shows that the proposed glider design and control framework can be used to advancing in situ observing capabilities for eddies and complex ocean process reconstruction.
Su et al. (Sun,) studied this question.