TOP PHOTO: Engineering at Meta
By Shalini M
This is the era of technology, especially artificial intelligence. Although there are numerous wonders of technology, we are going to focus on SLAM for the sake of this article. If you are not familiar with this term, you are on the right page. We will help you get familiar with this technology that is going to bring a revolution in the world of artificial intelligence. Without further ado, let’s check out what this is all about. Read on to find out more.
Primarily, SLAM is one of the most advanced technologies that help with the detection of the surrounding environment. This technology is used in mobile robots that perform different repeated operations based on a virtual map.
These robots can see their position without any problem. Primarily, this technology is used in the world of robotics, such as drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, automatic forklifts, unmanned vehicles, and robot cleaners, just to name a few. As a matter of fact, you can create a long list of devices that depend on this technology for optimal functionality.
In 1995, SLAM was used at the International Symposium on Robotics research. Another conference held in 1986 paved the way for a mathematical definition of this technology. Afterwards, tons of studies were conducted based on navigation devices and statistical theory. So, the research is still going on in this department.
In 1998, experts introduced an approach of using just one camera with no sensors. Therefore, this development resulted in a vision-based SLAM, which makes use of a camera in the form of a 3D position detector.
Localization & Mapping
Localization
Localization refers to pinpointing the location of something. In the world of SLAM, this technology helps a machine such as a robot when it comes to the estimated location on the basis of visual information. It is as if you see a new place or spot for the first time.
Since we do not have an accurate sense of defence or distance, we may get lost, especially when we are in a new city or country. The good thing about robots is that they can easily figure out the parts and direction of movement in relation to the surrounding environment. This is the reason they can easily perform localization.
Mapping
Mapping refers to a process of analysis that helps robots collect a lot of information to create a visual image of the environment around them. As a matter of fact, vision-based SLAM is a technology that makes use of cameras for mapping.
The Function of SLAM in the world of AR
Augmented reality creates a combination of virtual image in real life. For augmented reality, specific technology is needed to detect the environment around it. Plus, the same technology is required for detecting the relevant position of the powerful cameras.
Therefore, we can say that SLAM plays a great role in a number of areas like interaction, interface, graphics, display, location tracking, and location detection, to name a few.
