About the localization mode

[german]

Hi Mathieu,
first of all thanks a lot for releasing this great piece of work!
I am making experiments on mapping a small environment, and then running the localization mode. I am subscribed to the /rtabmap/octomap_full in RVIZ, and I see that the octomap is not actually static, but it is being constantly updated. I would expect however that the map is not updated in the localization mode.
I have kept pretty much the launch file that you provide, with the localization parameter set to true:

<div style="background: #ffffff; overflow:auto;width:auto;border:solid gray;border-width:.1em .1em .1em .8em;padding:.2em .6em;"><pre style="margin: 0; line-height: 125%"><?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<launch>

<param name="robot_description" textfile="$(find system_setup)/robotmodel.urdf" />
 
<node name="joint_state_publisher" pkg="joint_state_publisher" type="joint_state_publisher" />
        <node name="robot_state_publisher" pkg="robot_state_publisher" type="state_publisher" />


        <node pkg="tf" type="static_transform_publisher" name="laser_broadcaster" args="0 0 0 0 0 0 1 base_link laser_scan 100" />

       
       
<node pkg="tf" type="static_transform_publisher" name="kinect_broadcaster" args="0 0 0 0 0 0 1 base_link camera_link 100" />

<!--node pkg="tf" type="static_transform_publisher" name="kinect_camera_link_broadcaster" args="0 0 0 0 0 0 1 camera_link camera_depth_frame 100" /-->

<!-- Convenience launch file to launch odometry, rtabmap and rtabmapviz nodes at once -->

  <!-- For stereo:=false
        Your RGB-D sensor should be already started with "depth_registration:=true".
        Examples:
           $ roslaunch freenect_launch freenect.launch depth_registration:=true
           $ roslaunch openni2_launch openni2.launch depth_registration:=true -->
           
  <!-- For stereo:=true
        Your camera should be calibrated and publishing rectified left and right
        images + corresponding camera_info msgs. You can use stereo_image_proc for image rectification.
        Example:
           $ roslaunch rtabmap_ros bumblebee.launch -->
     
  <!-- Choose between RGB-D and stereo -->     
  <arg name="stereo"          default="false"/>
 
  <!-- Choose visualization -->
  <arg name="rtabmapviz"              default="false" /> 
  <arg name="rviz"                    default="false" />
 
  <!-- Localization-only mode -->
  <arg name="localization"            default="true"/>
 
  <!-- Corresponding config files -->
  <arg name="cfg"                     default=" ~/.ros/config.ini" /> <!--  To change RTAB-Map's parameters, set the path of config file (*.ini) generated by the standalone app -->
  <arg name="gui_cfg"                 default="~/.ros/rtabmap_gui.ini" />
  <arg name="rviz_cfg"                default="-d $(find rtabmap_ros)/launch/config/rgbd.rviz" />
 
  <arg name="frame_id"                default="camera_link"/>     <!-- Fixed frame id, you may set "base_link" or "base_footprint" if they are published -->
  <arg name="namespace"               default="rtabmap"/>
  <arg name="database_path"           default="~/.ros/rtabmap_home.db"/>
  <arg name="queue_size"              default="10"/>
  <arg name="wait_for_transform"      default="0.25"/>
  <arg name="rtabmap_args"            default=""/>              <!-- delete_db_on_start, udebug -->
  <arg name="launch_prefix"           default=""/>              <!-- for debugging purpose, it fills launch-prefix tag of the nodes -->
  <arg name="approx_sync"             default="true"/>         <!-- if timestamps of the input topics are not synchronized -->
   
  <!-- RGB-D related topics -->
  <arg name="rgb_topic"               default="/camera/rgb/image_rect_color" />   <!--/camera/rgb/image_raw" /-->
  <arg name="depth_topic"             default="/camera/depth_registered/sw_registered/image_rect_raw" />       <!--/camera/depth_registered/sw_registered/image_rect_raw" /-->
  <arg name="camera_info_topic"       default="/camera/rgb/camera_info" />
 
  <!-- stereo related topics -->
  <arg name="stereo_namespace"        default="/stereo_camera"/>
  <arg name="left_image_topic"        default="$(arg stereo_namespace)/left/image_rect_color" />
  <arg name="right_image_topic"       default="$(arg stereo_namespace)/right/image_rect" />      <!-- using grayscale image for efficiency -->
  <arg name="left_camera_info_topic"  default="$(arg stereo_namespace)/left/camera_info" />
  <arg name="right_camera_info_topic" default="$(arg stereo_namespace)/right/camera_info" />
 
  <arg name="compressed"              default="false"/>         <!-- If you want to subscribe to compressed image topics -->
                                                                <!-- For depth_topic, "compressedDepth" image_transport is used. --> 
                                                                <!-- For rgb_topic, see "rgb_image_transport" argument. -->
  <arg name="rgb_image_transport"     default="compressed"/>    <!-- Common types: compressed, theora (see "rosrun image_transport list_transports") -->
   
  <arg name="subscribe_scan"          default="false"/>
  <arg name="scan_topic"              default="/scan"/>
 
  <arg name="subscribe_scan_cloud"    default="false"/>
  <arg name="scan_cloud_topic"        default="/scan_cloud"/>
   
  <arg name="visual_odometry"         default="false"/>          <!-- Launch rtabmap visual odometry node -->
  <arg name="odom_topic"              default="/odom"/>         <!-- Odometry topic used if visual_odometry is false -->
  <arg name="odom_args"               default="$(arg rtabmap_args)"/>
 
  <!-- These arguments should not be modified directly, see referred topics without "_relay" suffix above -->
  <arg if="$(arg compressed)"     name="rgb_topic_relay"           default="$(arg rgb_topic)_relay"/>
  <arg unless="$(arg compressed)" name="rgb_topic_relay"           default="$(arg rgb_topic)"/>
  <arg if="$(arg compressed)"     name="depth_topic_relay"         default="$(arg depth_topic)_relay"/>
  <arg unless="$(arg compressed)" name="depth_topic_relay"         default="$(arg depth_topic)"/>
  <arg if="$(arg compressed)"     name="left_image_topic_relay"    default="$(arg left_image_topic)_relay"/>
  <arg unless="$(arg compressed)" name="left_image_topic_relay"    default="$(arg left_image_topic)"/>
  <arg if="$(arg compressed)"     name="right_image_topic_relay"   default="$(arg right_image_topic)_relay"/>
  <arg unless="$(arg compressed)" name="right_image_topic_relay"   default="$(arg right_image_topic)"/>

  <!-- Nodes -->
  <group ns="$(arg namespace)">
 
    <!-- RGB-D Odometry -->
    <group unless="$(arg stereo)">
      <node if="$(arg compressed)" name="republish_rgb" type="republish" pkg="image_transport" args="$(arg rgb_image_transport) in:=$(arg rgb_topic) raw out:=$(arg rgb_topic_relay)" />
      <node if="$(arg compressed)" name="republish_depth" type="republish" pkg="image_transport" args="compressedDepth in:=$(arg depth_topic) raw out:=$(arg depth_topic_relay)" />
 
      <node if="$(arg visual_odometry)" pkg="rtabmap_ros" type="rgbd_odometry" name="rgbd_odometry" output="screen" args="$(arg odom_args)" launch-prefix="$(arg launch_prefix)">
        <remap from="rgb/image"       to="$(arg rgb_topic_relay)"/>
        <remap from="depth/image"     to="$(arg depth_topic_relay)"/>
        <remap from="rgb/camera_info" to="$(arg camera_info_topic)"/>
         
        <param name="frame_id"                    type="string" value="$(arg frame_id)"/>
        <param name="wait_for_transform_duration" type="double" value="$(arg wait_for_transform)"/>
        <param name="approx_sync"                 type="bool"   value="$(arg approx_sync)"/>
        <param name="config_path"                 type="string" value="$(arg cfg)"/>
        <param name="queue_size"                  type="int" value="$(arg queue_size)"/>
                <param name="Odom/Strategy" value="0"/>
        <!--param name="Reg/Force3DoF" value="false"/-->
      </node>
    </group>
   
    <!-- Stereo Odometry -->
    <group if="$(arg stereo)">
      <node if="$(arg compressed)" name="republish_left"  type="republish" pkg="image_transport" args="compressed in:=$(arg left_image_topic) raw out:=$(arg left_image_topic_relay)" />
      <node if="$(arg compressed)" name="republish_right" type="republish" pkg="image_transport" args="compressed in:=$(arg right_image_topic) raw out:=$(arg right_image_topic_relay)" />
 
      <node if="$(arg visual_odometry)" pkg="rtabmap_ros" type="stereo_odometry" name="stereo_odometry" output="screen" args="$(arg odom_args)" launch-prefix="$(arg launch_prefix)">
        <remap from="left/image_rect"        to="$(arg left_image_topic_relay)"/>
        <remap from="right/image_rect"       to="$(arg right_image_topic_relay)"/>
        <remap from="left/camera_info"       to="$(arg left_camera_info_topic)"/>
        <remap from="right/camera_info"      to="$(arg right_camera_info_topic)"/>
         
        <param name="frame_id"                    type="string" value="$(arg frame_id)"/>
        <param name="wait_for_transform_duration" type="double" value="$(arg wait_for_transform)"/>
        <param name="approx_sync"                 type="bool"   value="$(arg approx_sync)"/>
        <param name="config_path"                 type="string" value="$(arg cfg)"/>
        <param name="queue_size"                  type="int" value="$(arg queue_size)"/>
      </node>
    </group>
 
    <!-- Visual SLAM (robot side) -->
    <!-- args: "delete_db_on_start" and "udebug" -->
    <node name="rtabmap" pkg="rtabmap_ros" type="rtabmap" output="screen" args="$(arg rtabmap_args)" launch-prefix="$(arg launch_prefix)">
      <param     if="$(arg stereo)" name="subscribe_depth"  type="bool" value="false"/>
      <param unless="$(arg stereo)" name="subscribe_depth"  type="bool" value="true"/>
      <param name="subscribe_stereo"     type="bool"   value="$(arg stereo)"/>
      <param name="subscribe_scan"       type="bool"   value="$(arg subscribe_scan)"/>
      <param name="subscribe_scan_cloud" type="bool"   value="$(arg subscribe_scan_cloud)"/>
      <param name="frame_id"             type="string" value="$(arg frame_id)"/>
      <param name="wait_for_transform_duration"  type="double"   value="$(arg wait_for_transform)"/>
      <param name="database_path"        type="string" value="$(arg database_path)"/>
      <param name="approx_sync"          type="bool"   value="$(arg approx_sync)"/>
      <param name="config_path"          type="string" value="$(arg cfg)"/>
      <param name="queue_size"           type="int" value="$(arg queue_size)"/>
     
      <remap from="rgb/image"       to="$(arg rgb_topic_relay)"/>
      <remap from="depth/image"     to="$(arg depth_topic_relay)"/>
      <remap from="rgb/camera_info" to="$(arg camera_info_topic)"/>
       
      <remap from="left/image_rect"        to="$(arg left_image_topic_relay)"/>
      <remap from="right/image_rect"       to="$(arg right_image_topic_relay)"/>
      <remap from="left/camera_info"       to="$(arg left_camera_info_topic)"/>
      <remap from="right/camera_info"      to="$(arg right_camera_info_topic)"/>
     
      <remap from="scan"                   to="$(arg scan_topic)"/>
      <remap from="scan_cloud"             to="$(arg scan_cloud_topic)"/>
      <remap unless="$(arg visual_odometry)" from="odom"  to="$(arg odom_topic)"/>
     
      <!-- localization mode -->
          <param     if="$(arg localization)" name="Mem/IncrementalMemory" type="string" value="false"/>
          <param unless="$(arg localization)" name="Mem/IncrementalMemory" type="string" value="true"/>
          <param name="Mem/InitWMWithAllNodes" type="string" value="$(arg localization)"/>


        <!-- optimisation of the performance... -->       
        <param name="Vis/CorType" value="0"/>
        <param name="Reg/Force3DoF" value="true"/>
    </node>
 
    <!-- Visualisation RTAB-Map -->
    <node if="$(arg rtabmapviz)" pkg="rtabmap_ros" type="rtabmapviz" name="rtabmapviz" args="-d $(arg gui_cfg)" output="screen" launch-prefix="$(arg launch_prefix)">
      <param     if="$(arg stereo)" name="subscribe_depth"  type="bool" value="false"/>
      <param unless="$(arg stereo)" name="subscribe_depth"  type="bool" value="true"/>
      <param name="subscribe_stereo"     type="bool"   value="$(arg stereo)"/>
      <param name="subscribe_scan"       type="bool"   value="$(arg subscribe_scan)"/>
      <param name="subscribe_scan_cloud" type="bool"   value="$(arg subscribe_scan_cloud)"/>
      <param name="subscribe_odom_info"  type="bool"   value="$(arg visual_odometry)"/>
      <param name="frame_id"             type="string" value="$(arg frame_id)"/>
      <param name="wait_for_transform_duration" type="double"   value="$(arg wait_for_transform)"/>
      <param name="queue_size"           type="int" value="$(arg queue_size)"/>
   
      <remap from="rgb/image"       to="$(arg rgb_topic_relay)"/>
      <remap from="depth/image"     to="$(arg depth_topic_relay)"/>
      <remap from="rgb/camera_info" to="$(arg camera_info_topic)"/>
     
      <remap from="left/image_rect"        to="$(arg left_image_topic_relay)"/>
      <remap from="right/image_rect"       to="$(arg right_image_topic_relay)"/>
      <remap from="left/camera_info"       to="$(arg left_camera_info_topic)"/>
      <remap from="right/camera_info"      to="$(arg right_camera_info_topic)"/>
     
      <remap from="scan"                   to="$(arg scan_topic)"/>
      <remap from="scan_cloud"             to="$(arg scan_cloud_topic)"/>
      <remap unless="$(arg visual_odometry)" from="odom"  to="$(arg odom_topic)"/>
    </node>
 
  </group>
 
  <!-- Visualization RVIZ -->
  <node if="$(arg rviz)" pkg="rviz" type="rviz" name="rviz" args="$(arg rviz_cfg)"/>
  <node if="$(arg rviz)" pkg="nodelet" type="nodelet" name="points_xyzrgb" args="standalone rtabmap_ros/point_cloud_xyzrgb">
    <remap from="left/image"        to="$(arg left_image_topic_relay)"/>
    <remap from="right/image"       to="$(arg right_image_topic_relay)"/>
    <remap from="left/camera_info"  to="$(arg left_camera_info_topic)"/>
    <remap from="right/camera_info" to="$(arg right_camera_info_topic)"/>
    <remap from="rgb/image"         to="$(arg rgb_topic_relay)"/>
    <remap from="depth/image"       to="$(arg depth_topic_relay)"/>
    <remap from="rgb/camera_info"   to="$(arg camera_info_topic)"/>
    <remap from="cloud"             to="voxel_cloud" />

    <param name="decimation"  type="double" value="2"/>
    <param name="voxel_size"  type="double" value="0.02"/>
    <param name="approx_sync" type="bool"   value="$(arg approx_sync)"/>
  </node>

</launch> 
</pre></div>

Cheers!
Germán

[matlabbe]

Hi German,

Yes, by default, the map is still updated with latest data on localization. To avoid this, set "map_negative_poses_ignored" to true:

<node name="rtabmap" pkg="rtabmap_ros" type="rtabmap">
   <param    name="map_negative_poses_ignored"  type="bool" value="true"/>
   ...
</node>

cheers,
Mathieu