Joint solution for the online 3D photorealistic mapping using SfM and SLAM

This paper proposes a novel hybrid solution of SfM (Structure from Motion) and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) for the online generation of a 3D photorealistic map. As it is well known, the SfM can generate a 3D photo map, but it is difficult to get the realscale as well as to build an online map (i.e., the map cannot be generated on the fly). In contrast, while SLAM frameworks are suitable for online real-scale mapping, they are not adequate for 3D photo map generation. To create a synergy effect, the proposed method combines SfM and SLAM. The way of combination is to use SfM for the generation of local maps and to utilize SLAM for a fusion of local maps in a globally consistent manner. Experimental results show that the proposed hybrid approach enables online 3D photorealistic mapping.