ROS users,

I had an idea for improving map topics and would like to open it up for
discussion and get some feedback on the idea.

*Problem:* I like to run rviz for my mobile robot on a different computer
than my robot for obvious reasons, but when gmapping maps get large they
tend to saturate the network.

*Idea:* Reduce the required bandwidth by publishing map deltas rather than
full maps.

*Implementation details:* The /map topic would publish the full map and
latch that message for new subscribers.

The /map-updates topic could then publish a hash of the map being published
on /map and a list of changes required to bring that map up to date.

When the change list size exceeds some threshold, it can publish and latch
a new map on the /map topic. This will cause /map-updates to have a new
hash and clear the change list

The full map could be published on /map-full for backwards compatibility
with older nodes.

Suggestions and feedback on the idea greatly appreciated. :)
~Dereck Wonnacott
Michigan Tech Robotics Lab


“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and
falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” -
Michelangelo