OptMap: Geometric Map Distillation via Submodular Maximization

Autonomous robots rely on geometric maps to inform a diverse set of perception and decision-making algorithms. As autonomy requires reasoning and planning on multiple scales of the environment, each algorithm may require a different map for optimal performance. Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) sensors generate an abundance of geometric data to satisfy these diverse requirements, but selecting informative, size-constrained maps is computationally challenging as it requires solving an NP-hard combinatorial optimization. In this work we present OptMap: a geometric map distillation algorithm which achieves real-time, application-specific map generation via multiple theoretical and algorithmic innovations. A central feature is the maximization of set functions that exhibit diminishing returns, i.e., submodularity, using polynomial-time algorithms with provably near-optimal solutions. We formulate a novel submodular reward function which quantifies informativeness, reduces input set sizes, and minimizes bias in sequentially collected datasets. Further, we propose a dynamically reordered streaming submodular algorithm which improves empirical solution quality and addresses input order bias via an online approximation of the value of all scans. Testing was conducted on open-source and custom datasets with an emphasis on long-duration mapping sessions, highlighting OptMap's minimal computation requirements. Open-source ROS1 and ROS2 packages are available and can be used alongside any LiDAR SLAM algorithm.