NavVis has announced mapping software that improves the accuracy of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology in indoor environments, such as long corridors. The software update will be available for users of the NavVis M3 Trolley and will improve the accuracy of the resulting maps and point clouds.
Its mobile mapping system, the M3 Trolley, builds upon SLAM to increase efficiency when scanning buildings. SLAM is a technique developed by the robotics industry that is now being used in surveying and autonomous driving technologies. SLAM solves a problem that plagued robotics engineers by enabling a device to determine its location while simultaneously mapping an unknown environment. This is done by chaining millions of measurements into a trajectory estimate.
However, even when a device captures accurate individual measurements, chaining them will result in an accumulation of noise and tiny measurement uncertainties. Over time, the estimated motion will start to deviate from the true motion, which is known as drift error. This can be observed as a slight bending of long corridors that are actually straight. All available SLAM systems, regardless of whether these use LIDARs or other sensors, are inherently affected by this phenomenon.
The NavVis Precision SLAM technology reduces drift error and improves SLAM accuracy. This is evident in cases where techniques, such as loop closures, cannot be deployed if, for example, the layout of a building does not allow for it. SLAM even improves accuracy when SLAM anchors are used to incorporate ground control points into the mapping process.