Comparison of Different Hardware Configurations for 2D SLAM Techniques Based on Google Cartographer Use Case

One of the most challenging topics in Robotics is Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) in the indoor environments. Due to the fact that Global Navigation Satellite Systems cannot be successfully used in such environments, different data sources are used for this purpose, among others LiDARs (Light Detection and Ranging), which have advanced from numerous other technologies. Other embedded sensors can be used along with LiDARs to improve SLAM accuracy, e.g. the ones available in the Inertial Measurement Units and wheel odometry sensors. Evaluation of different SLAM algorithms and possible hardware configurations in real environments is time consuming and expensive. For that reason, in this paper we evaluate the performance of different hardware configuration used with Google Cartographer SLAM algorithms in simulation framework proposed in 1. Our use case is an actual robot used for room decontamination. The results show that for our robot the best hardware configuration consists of three LiDARs 2D, IMU and wheel odometry sensors. The proposed simulation-based methodology is a cost-effective alternative to real-world evaluation. It allows easy automation and provides access to precise ground truth. It is especially beneficial in the early stages of product design and to reduce the number of necessary real-life tests and hardware configurations.