MOARSLAM: Multiple operator augmented RSLAM

Abstract

To effectively act on the same physical space, robots must first communicate to share and fuse the map of the area in which they operate. For longterm online operation, the merging of maps from heterogeneous devices must be fast and allow for scalable growth in both the number of clients and the size of the map. This paper presents a system which allows multiple clients to share and merge maps built from a state-of-the-art relative SLAM system. Maps can also be augmented with virtual elements that are consistently shared by all the clients. The visual-inertial mapping framework which underlies this system is discussed, along with the server architecture and novel integrated multi-session loop closure system. We showquantitative results of the system. Themap fusion benefits are demonstrated with an example augmented reality application.