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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Edridge, Thomas, Kok, Manon
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.19946
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author Edridge, Thomas
Kok, Manon
author_facet Edridge, Thomas
Kok, Manon
contents Indoor localisation techniques suffer from attenuated Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and from the accumulation of unbounded drift by integration of proprioceptive sensors. Magnetic field-based Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) reduces drift through loop closures by revisiting previously seen locations, but extended exploration of unseen areas remains challenging. Recently, magnetometer arrays have demonstrated significant benefits over single magnetometers, as they can directly estimate the odometry. However, inconsistencies between magnetometer measurements negatively affect odometry estimates and complicate loop closure detection. We propose two filtering algorithms: The first focuses on magnetic field-based SLAM using a magnetometer array (SLAMma). The second extends this to jointly estimate the magnetometer calibration parameters (SLCAMma). We demonstrate, using Monte Carlo simulations, that the calibration parameters can be accurately estimated when there is sufficient orientation excitation, and that magnetometers achieve inter-sensor measurement consistency regardless of the type of motion. Experimental validation on ten datasets confirms these results, and we demonstrate that in cases where single magnetometer SLAM fails, SLAMma and SLCAMma provide good trajectory estimates with, more than 80% drift reduction compared to integration of proprioceptive sensors.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_19946
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle SL(C)AMma: Simultaneous Localisation, (Calibration) and Mapping With a Magnetometer Array
Edridge, Thomas
Kok, Manon
Robotics
Indoor localisation techniques suffer from attenuated Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and from the accumulation of unbounded drift by integration of proprioceptive sensors. Magnetic field-based Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) reduces drift through loop closures by revisiting previously seen locations, but extended exploration of unseen areas remains challenging. Recently, magnetometer arrays have demonstrated significant benefits over single magnetometers, as they can directly estimate the odometry. However, inconsistencies between magnetometer measurements negatively affect odometry estimates and complicate loop closure detection. We propose two filtering algorithms: The first focuses on magnetic field-based SLAM using a magnetometer array (SLAMma). The second extends this to jointly estimate the magnetometer calibration parameters (SLCAMma). We demonstrate, using Monte Carlo simulations, that the calibration parameters can be accurately estimated when there is sufficient orientation excitation, and that magnetometers achieve inter-sensor measurement consistency regardless of the type of motion. Experimental validation on ten datasets confirms these results, and we demonstrate that in cases where single magnetometer SLAM fails, SLAMma and SLCAMma provide good trajectory estimates with, more than 80% drift reduction compared to integration of proprioceptive sensors.
title SL(C)AMma: Simultaneous Localisation, (Calibration) and Mapping With a Magnetometer Array
topic Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.19946