I always see "consistent mapping" or "map consistency" in SLAM papers and articles, but I have no idea about what consistent map is.
I have found enter link description here, but it did not solve my problem. Furthermore, what is local consistentcy and global consistency?
During the mapping, the robot sequentially tries to locate landmarks or objects around it with precise coordinates, both locally and globally. The local consistency of the landmarks in each sequential operation means that their positions relative to the robot and the positions among themselves correspond to reality.
The map fragments created at each step are combined to form a meaningful global map. In the meantime, the landmarks determined in the previous step can also take place in the next step. During this merge, if the locations of the landmarks are very different from each other on both local maps, local maps cannot be combined and mapping cannot be made because there will be no consistency.
Consistency of both the local and global map is critical, especially in loop closure studies. If the map you created is not consistent, you cannot detect loop closure.
In summary, the consistency of your map means that the locations of the same landmarks that you detect at different stages are consistent with each other.
