Integration of Augmented Reality and Mobile Robot Indoor SLAM for Enhanced Spatial Awareness

Abstract: This research explores the integration of indoor Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) with Augmented Reality (AR) to enhance situational awareness, improving safety in hazardous or emergency situations. The main contribution of this work is to enable mobile robots to provide real-time spatial perception to users who are not co-located with the robot. This is a comprehensive approach, including selecting suitable sensors for indoor SLAM, designing and building a platform, developing methods to display maps on AR devices, implementing this into software on an AR device, and improving the robustness of communication and localization between the robot and AR device in real-world testing. By taking this approach and analyzing each component of the integrated system, this paper highlights numerous areas for future research that can further advance the integration of SLAM and AR technologies. These advancements aim to significantly improve safety and efficiency during rescue operations.