Simultaneous localization and mapping on a mobile robot platform

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is a very current problem in robotics, and the development of new SLAM algorithms is carried out by leading research institutions. The text presents the implementation of selected SLAM algorithms on a custom made hardware platform built on the chassis of the 1:10 remote control Ackerman vehicle model. A transformation of a hobby vehicle platform to an autonomous robot requires hardware and software intervention the paper further describes a sensor setup, hardware configuration, and briefly apprises of the software architecture. Finally, the characteristics and performance of GMapping with wheel odometry and visual odometry, Hector SLAM, and CRSM SLAM algorithms are evaluated in a series of practical experiments.