Challenges and State-of-the-Art Solutions to Underwater Slam

The unstructured scenario, the extraction of significant features, imprecision of sensors along with the impossibility of using GPS signals are some of the challenges encountered in underwater environments. Given this adverse context, the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping techniques (SLAM) attempt to localize the robot in an efficient way in an unknown underwater environment while at the same time, generate a representative model of the environment. In this paper, we focus on key topics related to SLAM applications in underwater environments. Moreover, a review of major studies in the literature and proposed solutions for address the problem are presented. As the main contribution of this work, a comprehensive review of the applications and topics in underwater SLAM were produced. Future trends and topics for research are also related.