Real-time Mapping and Localization

Much work underway in smart mapping ... Given the increasing need for real-time intelligence.   We used aspects of this in forestry asset analysis.

Collaborative simultaneous localization and mapping technique uses available Wi-Fi networks
by Ingrid Fadelli , Tech Xplore

In recent years, research teams worldwide have developed new methods for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). These techniques can be used to construct or update maps of a given environment in real time, while simultaneously tracking an artificial agent or robot's location within these maps.

Most existing SLAM approaches rely heavily on the use of range-based or vision-based sensors, both to sense the environment and a robot's movements. These sensors, however, can be very expensive and typically require significant computational power to operate properly.

Aware of these limitations, researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, Southwest University of Science and Technology, the University of Moratuwa and Nanyang Technological University have recently developed a new technique for collaborative SLAM that does rely on range-based or vision-based sensors. This technique, presented in a paper prepublished on arXiv, could enable more effective robot navigation within unknown indoor environments at a cost significantly lower than that of most previously proposed methods. ... "