Navigation & SLAM
Visual SLAM
Visual SLAM is simultaneous localization and mapping using cameras as the primary sensor, jointly estimating the robot's trajectory and a 3D map of the environment from image streams. Feature-based systems such as ORB-SLAM track sparse keypoints and optimize a pose graph with loop closure, while direct and dense methods operate on pixel intensities; visual-inertial fusion adds robustness to fast motion and low texture.
Why it matters for physical AI
Cameras cost dollars while LiDAR costs hundreds, so visual SLAM is the enabling technology for affordable navigation in consumer robots, drones, and AR headsets, and it supplies the localization layer for mobile manipulation.
Build physical AI
Put these concepts to work on real hardware
Axol is a dual-arm robot built for physical AI — teleoperate it, collect demonstrations, and deploy learned policies out of the box.