Journal of Applied Sciences ›› 2026, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (4): 515-536.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0255-8297.2026.04.001

• Intelligent Visual Perception • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Review of LiDAR Simultaneous Localization and Mapping

DUAN Xuzhe1, ZHONG Ruofei2, LI Jian3, FU Jing4, ZHAO Pengcheng1, LI Jiayuan1, AI Mingyao1, HU Qingwu1   

  1. 1. School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, Hubei, China;
    2. College of Resource Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China;
    3. School of Geo-Science and Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China;
    4. China Electric Power Research Institute Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
  • Received:2026-02-23 Published:2026-08-01

Abstract: The development of light detection and ranging(LiDAR) simultaneous localization and mapping(SLAM) technology over the past decade was systematically reviewed.First, a general mathematical definition of the SLAM problem was provided to establish a unified analytical framework. Subsequently, the related research was categorized into two main categories according to the number of platforms: single-platform LiDAR SLAM and multi-platform collaborative LiDAR SLAM. In the single-platform section, the multi-sensor fusion methods centered on LiDAR were emphatically summarized; in the multi-platform section, the currently mature collaborative SLAM systems and their key characteristics were outlined. Meanwhile, the challenges and development opportunities faced by LiDAR SLAM in complex scenes, degraded environments, multi-modal data sources, and multiplatform collaboration were discussed. Finally, combined with current research hotspots,the future technical evolution trends of LiDAR SLAM were prospected. The main application forms of deep learning in LiDAR SLAM were analyzed, and the potential value of emerging map representations(such as neural radiance fields and three-dimensional Gaussian splatting) in mapping quality and representation capability was outlined.

Key words: simultaneous localization and mapping(SLAM), light detection and ranging(LiDAR), multisource data fusion, multi-platform collaboration, visual localization and navigation

CLC Number: