Robotics
SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping)
SLAM is the technique by which a robot builds a map of an unknown place while locating itself within it, using only its own sensors. It is what allows a machine to find its way around an exhibition hall without a prior floor plan or beacons installed on the ground.
Updated on 12 October 2026 · Libella Robotics · Also known as: SLAM, simultaneous localization and mapping, robot mapping
The problem is circular (locating yourself requires a map, mapping requires knowing where you are), which makes it a research field in its own right. Modern algorithms solve it by estimating both at once, and by correcting drift when the robot passes through a place it has already seen.
At an event, SLAM mainly provides robustness: the setting changes constantly, visitors move around, stands go up. Navigation that relied only on a fixed map would be wrong within a few hours.
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