FLARE-SLAM: Multibeam Feature Extraction and Residual Enhancement for 3-D LiDAR Mapping

This paper introduces a novel multi-sensor fusion SLAM algorithm named FLARE-SLAM, designed for mobile robots operating in complex environments. This algorithm addresses challenges associated with uneven LiDAR measurement signals and their random distribution. First, we enhance the stability of feature extraction by refining the curvature calculation strategy for LiDAR point clouds and incorporating contextual information from the sensor array. Second, we introduce an adaptive residual optimization weight distribution mechanism, grounded in the principle of uniform residual optimization, to boost the algorithm’s adaptability across various environments. Extensive evaluations on the KITTI dataset confirm that FLARE-SLAM constructs a global map with enhanced consistency and accuracy, achieving an absolute trajectory error of 0.53% and an absolute rotation error of 0.19∘/100m. Additionally, we validate the robustness of the algorithm through real-world testing in diverse outdoor and indoor settings.