How to Pass the Gap – Functional Morphology and Biomechanics of Spider Bridging Threads

Abstract

This paper describes a biologically inspired approach to vision-only simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) on ground-based platforms. The core SLAM system, dubbed RatSLAM, is based on computational models of the rodent hip- pocampus, and is coupled with a lightweight vision system that provides odometry and appearance information. RatSLAM builds a map in an online manner, driving loop closure and relocaliza- tion through sequences of familiar visual scenes. Visual ambiguity is managed by maintaining multiple competing vehicle pose esti- mates,while cumulative errors in odometry are correctedafter loop closure by a map correction algorithm.We demonstrate the map- ping performance of the system on a 66 km car journey through a complex suburban road network. Using only a web camera oper- ating at 10 Hz, RatSLAM generates a coherent map of the entire environment at real-time speed, correctly closing more than 51 loops of up to 5 km in length.