FixTheRobot Explore Robotics / Systems Engineering / Tools

D · Interactive tool · Module 09

SLAM Selection Guide

Tell the guide which sensors you have and what you need. It shows which of six open-source projects accept your sensors, what their READMEs state, and what you still have to verify.

Preliminary engineering guidance. Facts about each project come only from its own README, fetched on 2026-11-04 (OpenVINS: 2026-11-05), and are attributed as such. A feature the README text did not state is shown as not confirmed, which does not mean it is missing.

Sensors you have

Needs and environment

Result

Assumptions and limitations

  • Applicability is decided only by the stated input requirements in each README: for example LIO-SAM’s README says it requires a LiDAR with per-point time and ring fields and only works with a 9-axis IMU; FAST-LIO’s README accepts 6- or 9-axis IMUs for Velodyne/Ouster setups.
  • The score only orders the applicable projects by how many stated needs you satisfy (ROS 2 and loop closure only if you ask). It does not rank accuracy, robustness or speed: none of that is measured here, and no benchmark numbers are quoted. Use published evaluations and your own data for that.
  • Environment notes (light, texture, geometry) are general properties of camera-based and LiDAR-based methods, not claims about a specific project.
  • The README of a project may be out of date relative to its code and forks, and the main branch may have moved on. Check the current repository, open issues and the release you plan to use.
  • This tool does not cover configuration. Module 9 and Module 10 guides (planned) cover setup, with parameters taken from each project’s own configuration files.

References