Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) in Swarm Robots for Map-Merging and Uniform Map Generation Using ROS

Abstract

Swarm robotics is a sort of multi-robotics where many robots work together to coordinate in a distributed and decentralized way. It is based on the application of local rules and basic robots relative to the difficulty of the task, and it is motivated by social insects. A collection of basic robots with greater resilience and flexibility than a single robot may be able to do challenging tasks more effectively. In this paper, a multi-robot system is proposed– Swarm Robots for Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM). Individual robots in the swarm interact with each other and contribute to a single map as it localizes itself in the environment. The robots are equipped with RPLIDAR which is utilised for the hardware implementation of SLAM. The map constructed by each robot in the swarm is merged to make a uniform map. This map can be used by any other robot to effectively traverse an unknown environment and perform tasks that include search and rescue, cleanup of toxic spills, collective transportation, and unknown environment exploration like areas where it is dangerous for humans to work.