Ocean Flow Observation from Inter – Platform Measurement for Lagrangian Floats

This paper presents a novel algorithm for estimating the horizontal flow field using inter-platform measurements of displacement among Lagrangian float systems. The primary application of this algorithm is to enhance the navigational perception of Lagrangian floats. The proposed algorithm is grounded in a piecewise linear approximation, with coefficients estimated using an extended Kalman filter. The effectiveness of the algorithm is validated through numerical simulations and tested with data collected from an open sea trial in the Pacific Ocean. The results demonstrate a method for the accurate real time flow field estimations, providing valuable insights for oceanographic research and long-duration ocean monitoring.