Understanding S.L.A.M and Tracking in VR
SLAM stands for simultaneous localization and mapping. It simple terms SLAM gathers information about the local environment, maps it, and also places the user on the map all simultaneously. This has been a complicated problem for the VR industries to solve. SLAM is key for creating fully mobile optimized software for VR and AR. So, many companies have invested and focused on SLAM for their HMDs and handheld controllers.
SLAM allows for inside-out tracking capabilities, meaning the cameras are placed on the device being tracked instead of having external cameras that track the device as in outside-in tracking. The use of cameras for positional tracking is called optical tracking. Other types of tracking include acoustic tracking, which measures the time for acoustic signals to travel between a receiver and an emitter, wireless tracking, using anchors set in a perimeter, inertial tracking, which uses accelerometers and gyroscopes, and magnetic tracking, which measures the magnitude of the magnetic field in different directions.
The reason SLAM is important is because it can instantly recreate a real projection into a virtual one. It helps VR and AR applications create a better, clearer, and more stable digital reality. Currently, we are in transition to using SLAM in technology, but for AR the most common type of tracking is Floor AR where the device locates a flat surface to place the digital world on. SLAM will allow AR in the future for much more complicated tracking.
