Paper ID: 2304.11310

Twilight SLAM: Navigating Low-Light Environments

Surya Pratap Singh, Billy Mazotti, Dhyey Manish Rajani, Sarvesh Mayilvahanan, Guoyuan Li, Maani Ghaffari

This paper presents a detailed examination of low-light visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) pipelines, focusing on the integration of state-of-the-art (SOTA) low-light image enhancement algorithms with standard and contemporary SLAM frameworks. The primary objective of our work is to address a pivotal question: Does illuminating visual input significantly improve localization accuracy in both semi-dark and dark environments? In contrast to previous works that primarily address partially dim-lit datasets, we comprehensively evaluate various low-light SLAM pipelines across obscurely-lit environments. Employing a meticulous experimental approach, we qualitatively and quantitatively assess different combinations of image enhancers and SLAM frameworks, identifying the best-performing combinations for feature-based visual SLAM. The findings advance low-light SLAM by highlighting the practical implications of enhancing visual input for improved localization accuracy in challenging lighting conditions. This paper also offers valuable insights, encouraging further exploration of visual enhancement strategies for enhanced SLAM performance in real-world scenarios.

Submitted: Apr 22, 2023