What is SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping)?

A brief history of the SLAM in GeoSLAM

In 2008, the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) developed a powerful and robust SLAM algorithm primarily focused on accurate 3D measurement and mapping of the environment, rather than autonomous navigation. You may not be familiar with CSIRO, but you’ll certainly be familiar with their work – they invented Wi-Fi, 30-day contact lenses, plastic banknotes, the list goes on. They’re also Australia’s national science agency, pure experts in their field.  

In 2012, Data61, the digital innovation arm of CSIRO teamed up with UK geospatial market-leaders 3D Laser Mapping (GeoSLAM’s former sister company) to commercialise their new SLAM. The result was GeoSLAM and this award-winning technology is at the core of all our products. 

The first versions of SLAM used images to help with orientation, but for laser scanning a more frequent calculation of position is required and continuous-time SLAM overcomes this limitation. With our sweep-matching GeoSLAM Beam, scan lines are projected in all directions, enabling us to deliver a highly accurate and reliable digital map.  

We’ve sold thousands of handheld SLAM systems to businesses’ ever since.

What is GeoSLAM Beam?

GeoSLAM Beam is what we call our next generation SLAM algorithm that powers our software platform, GeoSLAM Connect.  

What makes GeoSLAM Beam the best SLAM?

The SLAM technology used inside GeoSLAM products is developed and continually enhanced by some of the smartest people on the planet. With GeoSLAM Beam and Connect you can expect:

• Optimised SLAM processing to suit your capture environment

• Robust and reliable in different environments, GeoSLAM Beam performs well walking, on robots, cars, scooters, bikes and even boats

• Tools and filters for creating clean and accurate point clouds, automatically

• Georeferencing your data

  is easy

• A high level of accuracy that meets mapping requirements and exceeds other SLAM based mapping systems using the Velodyne VLP-16 sensor.

  Take a look at the

  Accuracy Report

  to learn more.

Don’t just take it from us, our customers are  continually testing GeoSLAM Beam against competitor SLAM and tell us that our accuracy and reliability are the best in the market. 

What are the benefits of using SLAM?

SLAM based systems are inherently mobile – they are at their best when used on the move. Gone are the days of multiple static set-ups of bulky tripod-based systems. With a SLAM mobile mapping system, it’s possible to simply walk through an environment building a digital map as you go, saving time and money by removing laborious set-ups from the equation. SLAM based mobile mapping systems slash survey times and can be over 10 times faster at acquiring data. 
 
Additionally, GPS doesn’t work indoors; it requires a line of sight to at least three satellites to function, but it isn’t just indoors that is out of bounds to GPS based systems. Forests prove difficult, as tree canopies block the line of sight to the sky and urban canyons or tall buildings block signals in built up environments too. SLAM based technology overcomes these obstacles by cutting out GPS altogether. GeoSLAM enables you to reach complex and enclosed spaces, either scanning by hand or by attaching a scanner to a trolley, drone or pole. This opens a whole new realm of environments to be surveyed, that were previously highly problematic, time consuming, or both.  
 
For the built environment, this opens large opportunities as we help construction professionals carry out fast and accurate 3D models in the minimum amount of time, helping them with: 

• Fast, weekly progress monitoring of construction sites
• Real-time surveys of residential, commercial and industrial facilities
• Comprehensive site surveys of existing structures to be refurbished, remodelled or extended.

It’s easy to see how SLAM mapping devices are considered a ‘disruptive technology’ in the survey industry.  
 
It’s not just the built environment that benefit – the pre-cursor to the ZEB-1 found its birth in a complex cave system, in south-east Australia. From these humble beginnings, GeoSLAM products have been utilised in caves, mines, forests and open fields, globally. We have customers from all sectors, many of them global enterprise organizations. To cement our market position, we are proud to have built an international dealer network of almost 90 channel partners, in over 50 countries, across all six continents. That’s why we are the experts in go-anywhere 3D mobile mapping technology. 

What’s next for GeoSLAM?

Our experienced mathematicians and SLAM developers are constantly working on the next generation of features to offer even more functionality with each release, and we’re going one step further than this with our in-house innovation team headed by GeoSLAM Founder & CEO Graham Hunter.  
 
The initiative behind the foundation of the team is to cement innovation at the heart of all that GeoSLAM does, allowing us to expand our R&D capabilities, to keep delivering industry-leading products and to fortify our place at the cutting edge of global SLAM development.  

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