Multi-Robot SLAM in Dynamic Environments with Parallel Maps

There is an extensive literature regarding multi-robot simultaneous localization and mapping (MRSLAM). In most part of the research, the environment is assumed to be static, while the dynamic parts of the environment degrade the estimation quality of SLAM algorithms and lead to inherently fragile systems. To enhance the performance and robustness of the SLAM in dynamic environments (SLAMIDE), a novel cooperative approach named parallel-map (p-map) SLAM is introduced in this paper. The objective of the proposed method is to deal with the dynamics of the environment, by detecting dynamic parts and preventing the inclusion of them in SLAM estimations. In this approach, each robot builds a limited map in its own vicinity, while the global map is built through a hybrid centralized MRSLAM. The restricted size of the local maps, bounds computational complexity and resources needed to handle a large scale dynamic environment. Using a probabilistic index, the proposed method differentiates between stationary and moving landmarks, based on their relative positions with other parts of the environment. Stationary landmarks are then used to refine a consistent map. The proposed method is evaluated with different levels of dynamism and for each level, the performance is measured in terms of accuracy, robustness, and hardware resources needed to be implemented. The method is also evaluated with a publicly available real-world data-set. Experimental validation along with simulations indicate that the proposed method is able to perform consistent SLAM in a dynamic environment, suggesting its feasibility for MRSLAM applications.