An embedded particle filter SLAM implementation using an affordable platform

The recent growth in robotics applications has put to evidence the need for autonomous robots. In order for a robot to be truly autonomous, it must be able to solve the navigation problem. This paper highlights the main features of a fully embedded particle filter SLAM system and introduces some novel ways of calculating a measurement likelihood. A genetic algorithm calibration approach is used to prevent parameter over-fitting and obtain more generalizable results. Finally, it is depicted how the developed SLAM system was used to autonomously perform a field covering task showing robustness and better performance than a reference system. Several lines of possible improvements to the present system are presented.