SDF Tracker: A parallel algorithm for on-line pose estimation and scene reconstruction from depth images

Ego-motion estimation and environment mapping are two recurring problems in the field of robotics. In this work we propose a simple on-line method for tracking the pose of a depth camera in six degrees of freedom and simultaneously maintaining an updated 3D map, represented as a truncated signed distance function. The distance function representation implicitly encodes surfaces in 3D-space and is used directly to define a cost function for accurate registration of new data. The proposed algorithm is highly parallel and achieves good accuracy compared to state of the art methods. It is suitable for reconstructing single household items, workspace environments and small rooms at near real-time rates, making it practical for use on modern CPU hardware.