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I use a SICK laser scanner and use the default params for gmapping with very good results. I get the best results, however, when I drive around and turn slowly. It can take quite some time (> 45 minutes) to map a large space (> 2000 sq ft) with lots of pathways.

Now, slowly can mean different things for different people (or robots), but roughly it takes a few minutes / 100 sq ft. It also helps to go over problem areas a couple of times.

You may find that the first time you went over an area it doesn't look that great but after the second time it gets adjusted and looks better.

As for finding the right parameters for your robot, this can be more of an art than a science at times. However, if you record your laser scans in a bag file then run gmapping you'll be able to properly tune your system much more systematically and efficiently.

In the book Programming Robots with ROS (pg 146), it is suggested to try playing with the following params first:

  • /slam_gmapping/agularUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/linearUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/lskip to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmin to -10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymin to -10

For more parameters and further explanation of the parameters that I listed, check out gmapping on the wiki.

I use a SICK laser scanner and use the default params for gmapping with very good results. I get the best results, however, when I drive around and turn slowly. It can take quite some time (> 45 minutes) to map a large space (> 2000 sq ft) with lots of pathways.

Now, slowly can mean different things for different people (or robots), but roughly it takes a few minutes / 100 sq ft. It also helps to go over problem areas a couple of times.

You may find that the first time you went over an area it doesn't look that great but after the second time it gets adjusted and looks better.

As for finding the right parameters for your robot, this can be more of an art than a science at times. However, if you record your laser scans in a bag file then run gmapping you'll be able to properly tune your system much more systematically and efficiently.efficiently (by changing the params on the same data until you get optimal results).

In the book Programming Robots with ROS (pg 146), it is suggested to try playing with the following params first:

  • /slam_gmapping/agularUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/linearUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/lskip to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmin to -10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymin to -10

For more parameters and further explanation of the parameters that I listed, check out gmapping on the wiki.

I use a SICK laser scanner and use the default params for gmapping with very good results. I get the best results, however, when I drive around and turn slowly. It can take quite some time (> 45 minutes) to map a large space (> 2000 sq ft) with lots of pathways.

Now, slowly can mean different things for different people (or robots), but roughly it takes a few minutes / 100 sq ft. It also helps to go over problem areas a couple of times.

You may find that the first time you went over an area it doesn't look that great but after the second time it gets adjusted and looks better.

As for finding the right parameters for your robot, this can be more of an art than a science at times. However, if you record your laser scans in a bag file then run gmapping you'll be able to properly tune your system much more systematically and efficiently (by changing the params on the same data until you get optimal results).

In the book Programming Robots with ROS (pg 146), it is suggested to try playing with the following params first:

  • /slam_gmapping/agularUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/linearUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/lskip to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmin to -10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymin to -10

For more parameters and further explanation of the parameters that I listed, check out gmapping on the wiki.

In the video RViz is being used to display the map that gmapping is publishing to the map topic with map set as the fixed frame. If your map is moving around the robot then you probably have the fixed frame set to base_link (or equivalent for your robot). I'm not sure what you mean by

The map seems to be changing around the robot such that it only displays what the robot is currently seeing

Perhaps if you posted a video of it, it would become clear.

I use a SICK laser scanner and use the default params for gmapping with very good results. I get the best results, however, when I drive around and turn slowly. It can take quite some time (> 45 minutes) to map a large space (> 2000 sq ft) with lots of pathways.

Now, slowly can mean different things for different people (or robots), but roughly it takes a few minutes / 100 sq ft. It also helps to go over problem areas a couple of times.

You may find that the first time you went over an area it doesn't look that great but after the second time it gets adjusted and looks better.

As for finding the right parameters for your robot, this can be more of an art than a science at times. However, if you record your laser scans in a bag file then run gmapping you'll be able to properly tune your system much more systematically and efficiently (by changing the params on the same data until you get optimal results).

In the book Programming Robots with ROS (pg 146), it is suggested to try playing with the following params first:

  • /slam_gmapping/agularUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/linearUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/lskip to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmin to -10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymin to -10

For more parameters and further explanation of the parameters that I listed, check out gmapping on the wiki.

In the video RViz is being used to display the map that gmapping is publishing to the map topic with map set as the fixed frame. If your map is moving around the robot then you probably have the fixed frame set to base_link (or equivalent for your robot). I'm not sure what you mean by

The map seems to be changing around the robot such that it only displays what the robot is currently seeing

Perhaps if you posted a video of it, it would become clear.

I use a SICK laser scanner and use the default params for gmapping with very good results. I get the best results, however, when I drive around and turn slowly. It can take quite some time (> 45 minutes) to map a large space (> 2000 sq ft) with lots of pathways.

Now, slowly can mean different things for different people (or robots), but roughly it takes a few minutes / 100 sq ft. It also helps to go over problem areas a couple of times.

You may find that the first time you went over an area it doesn't look that great but after the second time it gets adjusted and looks better.

As for finding the right parameters for your robot, this can be more of an art than a science at times. However, if you record your laser scans in a bag file then run gmapping you'll be able to properly tune your system much more systematically and efficiently (by changing the params on the same data until you get optimal results).

In the book Programming Robots with ROS (pg 146), it is suggested to try playing with the following params first:

  • /slam_gmapping/agularUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/linearUpdate to 0.1
  • /slam_gmapping/lskip to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/xmin to -10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymax to 10
  • /slam_gmapping/ymin to -10

For more parameters and further explanation of the parameters that I listed, check out gmapping on the wiki.

In the video RViz is being used to display the map that gmapping is publishing to the map topic with map set as the fixed frame. If your map is moving around the robot then you probably have the fixed frame set to base_link (or equivalent for your robot). I'm not sure what you mean by

The map seems to be changing around the robot such that it only displays what the robot is currently seeing

Perhaps if you posted a video of it, it would become clear.

robot).