An open research-oriented C++ framework for multi-session and multi-robot visual-inertial mapping and localization.
maplab is an open-source research framework for visual-inertial mapping and localization, designed to handle multi-session and multi-robot scenarios. It provides tools for robust odometry, large-scale map optimization, and dense 3D reconstruction, solving challenges in long-term autonomous navigation and collaborative robotics.
Robotics researchers and engineers working on visual-inertial SLAM, multi-robot systems, and large-scale mapping applications who need a modular platform for algorithm development and testing.
Developers choose maplab for its proven performance on real robots, modular architecture that supports extensibility, and comprehensive features for multi-session and multi-robot mapping that are validated through extensive research publications.
A Modular and Multi-Modal Mapping Framework
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Extensively tested on actual robotic systems and backed by numerous research publications, as evidenced by the citation list and real robot images in the README.
Designed as a modular and extensible framework, allowing easy integration and testing of new algorithms, highlighted in its philosophy as advancing research in visual-inertial mapping.
Capable of merging maps from multiple sessions and enabling collaborative mapping across robots, demonstrated with gifs and descriptions in the features section for large-scale and multi-robot operation.
Includes robust visual-inertial odometry, dense reconstruction, and optimization tools, providing a full pipeline from sensor data to 3D maps, as shown in the README's feature breakdown.
Requires specific Ubuntu versions (18.04/20.04) with ROS melodic, making setup non-trivial and limiting cross-platform deployment, as noted in the installation guide.
Heavily integrated with ROS, which may not suit projects using alternative frameworks or requiring standalone deployment, potentially adding vendor lock-in.
As a research tool, it undergoes frequent updates (e.g., maplab 2.0), leading to potential breaking changes and lack of long-term API stability, as indicated by version transitions in the news section.