Master's thesis of Engineering: Evaluation of SLAM algorithms in realistic sensor test conditions

This thesis presents an evaluation of the mapping performance of a variety of SLAM algorithms that are freely available in the Robot Operating System (ROS), in conjunction with ranging data from various ranging sensors suitable for use onboard small UAS. To compare the quality of the generated maps, an existing metric was initially employed, however deficiencies noted in this metric led to the development of two new metrics. A discussion of both the existing and new map quality metrics, and the advantages and disadvantages of each, is presented as part of this thesis. To evaluate the performance of algorithm/sensor combinations, ranging data was collected from various sensors in a known environment.