hector_mapping doesn't update robot pose with insufficient features [closed]

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I am trying to use hector_mapping to create a 2D map using a UGV. I wanna first try it in gazebo before testing it on a real robot.

My robot configuration includes an IMU, 2D laser, and data from wheel encoders. I am running robot_pose_ekf package to update odom->base_footprint frame transform and want to use hector_mapping to update map->odom frame transform. Also, I'm using husky robot in gazebo and start the simulation with robot sitting outside willowgarage model. (FYI, I did the same with gmapping and everything just worked fine)

In RViz, the robot doesn't move until I drive the robot inside the building in Gazebo and that's when robot actually starts driving in RViz and starts building a map. But then as soon as I drive the robot outside the building, robot stops updating its pose in RViz and stops building the map. I believe this is caused due to insufficient laser features when I drive outside (only a wall on one side), but also robot_pose_ekf is updating odom->base_footprint transform. What could be causing the robot not to move outside the building.

Here's a copy of the launch file I'm using, any advice will be appreciated.

<launch>
    <!-- Create slam node -->
    <arg name="tf_map_scanmatch_transform_frame_name" default="scanmatcher_frame" />
    <arg name="base_frame" default="base_footprint" />
    <arg name="odom_frame" default="odom" />
    <arg name="pub_map_odom_transform" default="true" />
    <arg name="scan_subscriber_queue_size" default="5" />
    <arg name="scan_topic" default="/sensor/laser/scan" />
    <arg name="map_size" default="2048" />

    <node pkg="hector_mapping" type="hector_mapping" name="hector_mapping" output="screen">

        <!-- Frame names -->
        <param name="map_frame" value="map" />
        <param name="base_frame" value="$(arg base_frame)" />
        <param name="odom_frame" value="$(arg odom_frame)" />

        <!-- Tf use -->
        <param name="use_tf_scan_transformation" value="true" />
        <param name="use_tf_pose_start_estimate" value="false" />
        <param name="pub_map_odom_transform" value="$(arg pub_map_odom_transform)" />

        <!-- Map size / start point -->
        <param name="map_resolution" value="0.050" />
        <param name="map_size" value="$(arg map_size)" />
        <param name="map_start_x" value="0.5" />
        <param name="map_start_y" value="0.5" />
        <param name="map_multi_res_levels" value="2" />

        <!-- Map update parameters -->
        <param name="update_factor_free" value="0.4" />
        <param name="update_factor_occupied" value="0.7" />
        <param name="map_update_distance_thresh" value="0.2" />
        <param name="map_update_angle_thresh" value="0.06" />
        <param name="laser_z_min_value" value="-1.0" />
        <param name="laser_z_max_value" value="1.0" />

        <!-- Advertising config -->
        <param name="advertise_map_service" value="false" />

        <param name="scan_subscriber_queue_size" value="$(arg scan_subscriber_queue_size)" />
        <param name="scan_topic" value="$(arg scan_topic)" />

        <!-- Debug parameters -->
        <!-- <param name="output_timing" value="false"/> <param name="pub_drawings" 
            value="true"/> <param name="pub_debug_output" value="true"/> -->
        <param name="pub_map_scanmatch_transform" value="true" />
        <param name="tf_map_scanmatch_transform_frame_name" value="$(arg tf_map_scanmatch_transform_frame_name)" />
    </node>


    <!-- Create extended kalman filter node -->
    <node pkg="robot_pose_ekf" type="robot_pose_ekf" name="robot_pose_ekf">
        <remap from="robot_pose_ekf/odom" to="/perception/robot_pose_ekf/pose_odom"/>
        <remap from="imu_data" to="/sensor/imu/imu_data"/>
        <remap from="odom" to="/sensor/wheel_encoder/odom"/>
        <param name="output_frame" value="odom"/>
        <param name="freq" value="40.0"/>
        <param name="sensor_timeout" value="1.0"/>
        <param name="odom_used" value="true"/>
        <param name="imu_used" value="true"/>
        <param name="vo_used" value="false"/>
        <param name="debug" value="false"/>
        <param name="self_diagnose" value="false"/>
    </node>

</launch>