Indoor Mapping for Human Navigation – A Low-Cost SLAM Solution

Abstract

This paper introduces a low-cost Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) implementation for generating geodata for human-navigable maps. In contrast to prevalent thinking, we maintain that navigation by people who are not mobility-impaired does not need accurate maps down to millimetres or even centimetres. Basically, there is a need only to map the boundaries of spaces and to highlight walkable places and areas of potential decisions. The SLAM system presented here consists of an Arduino-based robot and controlling SLAMTerminal software. A case study conducted at the University of Augsburg, Germany shows that the proposed SLAM implementation is capable of producing a map suitable for helping pedestrians to navigate.