Google Unveils The Cartographer, Its Indoor Mapping Backpack | TechCrunch
▻http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/04/google-unveils-the-cartographer-its-indoor-mapping-backpack/?ncid=rss&cps=gravity
The Cartographer uses a process called “simultaneous localization and mapping” (SLAM), a technique that’s typically used for mapping new locations and that Google is now putting to use to map anything from hotels to museums.
As the backpacker walks through a building, the floor plan is automatically generated in real time, Google says. The wearer also uses a tablet to add points of interest while walking around the building (...)
the backpack features multi-echo laser scanners (judging from Google’s images, the backpack features two of these $4,500 units) and an inertial measurement unit.