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Baby's first SLAM algorithm

asked 2012-09-19 13:07:00 -0600

Chris Parker gravatar image

updated 2012-09-20 09:19:45 -0600

I have a strong math background, but am a self-taught programmer. There are gaps in my knowledge/abilities. I've recently had some really invigorating successes with coding in OpenCV, that has bolstered my confidence. I want to specialize in mechatronics, and specifically in computer vision. Within that, I find SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) algorithms very interesting. I want to gain experience in implementing SLAM algorithms.

How do I do that? What is the smallest meaningful & useful approach that I can implement first?

I've been doing a lot of reading on the extant research, and am fairly comfortable with the material (though I am not yet comfortable building something on my own). Where is the best starting point for me? Should I do FastSLAM? FastSLAM 2? Build my own 2-d bearings-only SLAM simulator, for a virtual agent? Estimate a path from a set video? Some much simpler task?

I am looking for a roadmap: stages I can plan to build, with each building off of the other. For example, I wanted to build my own CUDA-enabled genetic algorithm that could approximate a given image using a finite number of colored object primitives. This is what my roadmap for that project looked like:

Build a bare-bones, single population GA (find a float x such that e^x = 1024) in Python

Convert Python to C++

Use OpenCV's drawing functions to output a visual plot of the state of the population over time (I already had experience with OCV)

--in a separate program, build a "Hello World" equivalent in CUDA

Port the evaluation function for the GA to CUDA

Alter the eval function to find integers a and b such that e^(a/b) = 1024

Rewrite the eval function to find integers x,y,r,g so that it finds the single circle which best approximates a grayscale input image

Alter it to find a series of circles.

Alter it to use the HSV color space instead of grayscale

Alter it to use triangles instead of circles

Alter it to use a set of image primitives (say, a binary image)

Expand the GA to use multiple populations

Experiment with further customization

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answered 2012-09-21 04:40:35 -0600

Nghia gravatar image

I'm not entirely sure what you are describing in the second half, but a good starting point for learning SLAM might be Sebastian Thrun's Udacity course:

http://www.udacity.com/overview/Course/cs373/CourseRev/apr2012

Mine you, I haven't actually done this course yet, just heard lots of good things about it. SLAM is part of the syllabus in Unit 6.

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There is also the SLAM for dummies :-), which I think it is good.

gfuhr gravatar imagegfuhr ( 2012-09-21 08:21:34 -0600 )edit

The new URL for Sebastian Thrun's Udacity course is https://www.udacity.com/course/artifi.... (I don't have enough Karma to edit the original post)

efreet gravatar imageefreet ( 2017-08-09 02:30:42 -0600 )edit
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answered 2014-09-17 16:15:41 -0600

JD gravatar image

There is a document by MIT OCW, if you can bear to read it might be a good starting resource http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-412j-cognitive-robotics-spring-2005/projects/1aslam_blas_repo.pdf

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My apologies this is a repetition of the previous comment

JD gravatar imageJD ( 2014-09-17 16:16:12 -0600 )edit

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Asked: 2012-09-19 13:07:00 -0600

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Last updated: Sep 17 '14