Cartographer ROS Fork

This repository is a fork of the official cartographer_ros package. It introduces launch, configuration, and integration improvements for real-world SLAM and localization applications.

No new features have been added to Cartographer core or its ROS integration — the fork focuses on usability and system setup for future work.

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🔧 Summary of Changes

✅ New Launch Scripts

This fork provides dedicated launch scripts for common use cases:

• run_localization.launch.py – for localizing against a previously saved map
• run_slam_offline.launch.py – for offline SLAM using LIDAR + IMU + GNSS
• run_slam_online.launch.py – for real-time SLAM using LIDAR + IMU + GNSS
• write_assets.launch.py – for writing SLAM assets to disk
• upload_model.launch.py – for uploading URDF to ROS2 topic

✅ New Configuration Files

New .lua configs are included to tune Cartographer for various setups:

• Offline/Online 3D SLAM
• Localization 3D against a pre-built map
• Writing occupancy grid and other assets to disk

✅ Example URDF Sensor Kit

An exemplary URDF file is provided for a minimal sensor kit consisting of:

• 1× 3D LIDAR
• 1× IMU
• 1× GNSS
• Mounted on an aluminum profile (hand-carried for data collection)

This URDF helps visualize the transform tree and test SLAM configurations in RViz or simulation.

🚫 Missing Features / Limitations

This fork does not introduce new Cartographer functionality. Notably:

• No changes to SLAM internals or pose graph logic
• No support for new sensor types
• No feature additions beyond launch/config/URDF integration

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