multilayer matching slam for large-scale and spacious environments

In large-scale and spacious environments, keeping a reliable data association and reducing computational complexity are challenges for the implementation of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). Focused on these problems, a multilayer-matching-based incremental SLAM algorithm is proposed in this article. In this algorithm, SLAM is simplified as a problem composed of a least-square-based optimization problem and data association. Then, it is solved in two steps. Firstly, a multilayer matching method is applied to deal with the data-association problem. Both matching between observation and local map and matching between different local maps are carried out. The uncertainty of the results-matching is described by the Fisher information matrix. Secondly, the robot pose is optimized through an incremental QR decomposition method. This algorithm effectively avoids the local minima caused by the limited observation information, and can build a consistent map of the environment. Meanwhile, the characters (hierarchical and incremental) of the proposed algorithm ensure low computational complexity. Experiments on simulation environments and two kinds of real environments with different sparse features verify that the algorithm is applicable for real-time application in large-scale and spacious environments.