Significant Degradation in SLAM Performance with Reduced LiDAR FoV

[arad2456]

• Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
• ROS2 humble
• simulation in Gazebo

I ran a simulation in Gazebo to try SLAM, and it worked great with a lidar with a FoV of 360°. However, after I reduced the angle to fit the lidar available to me, which has a FoV of 70°, the performance degraded significantly. Here (#239), you recommended reducing the values of the parameters _minimum_traveldistance and _minimum_travelheading in the configuration file and using an environment with many instances to improve performance. I reduced the value of the parameters to the values you recommneded and much lower, but the performance wasn't as good as before. As for the world, I used the Turtlebot house, which, I suppose, fulfills the world requirements. I made a round around the house, and the results are really bad. The world was mapped perfectly with the 360° beam, but the results with the 70° beam are disappointing:

This is the world that should be mapped. I walked around the table in the main room, then went to the other room to the right, circled the table there, and returned to the initial position:

I would be grateful for your help and any recommendations on how to improve performance.

This is my urdf file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<robot name="Lafette" xmlns:xacro="http://ros.org/wiki/xacro">

  <!-- Define robot constants -->
  <xacro:property name="base_width" value="0.4"/>
  <xacro:property name="base_length" value="0.6"/>
  <xacro:property name="base_height" value="0.2"/>

  <xacro:property name="lafette_mass" value="5"/>
  <xacro:property name="wheel_mass" value="0.5"/>

  <xacro:property name="wheel_radius" value="0.1025"/>
  <xacro:property name="wheel_width" value="0.075"/>
  <xacro:property name="wheel_zoff" value="${base_height / 2}"/>
  <xacro:property name="wheel_yoff" value="${base_width / 2}"/>
  <xacro:property name="wheel_xoff" value="${base_length / 2}"/>

<!-- Define intertial property macros  -->
  <xacro:macro name="box_inertia" params="m w h d">
    <inertial>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="${pi/2} 0 ${pi/2}"/>
      <mass value="${m}"/>
      <inertia ixx="${(m/12) * (h*h + d*d)}" ixy="0.0" ixz="0.0" iyy="${(m/12) * (w*w + d*d)}" iyz="0.0" izz="${(m/12) * (w*w + h*h)}"/>
    </inertial>
  </xacro:macro>

  <xacro:macro name="cylinder_inertia" params="m r h">
    <inertial>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="${pi/2} 0 0" />
      <mass value="${m}"/>
      <inertia ixx="${(m/12) * (3*r*r + h*h)}" ixy = "0" ixz = "0" iyy="${(m/12) * (3*r*r + h*h)}" iyz = "0" izz="${(m/2) * (r*r)}"/>
    </inertial>
  </xacro:macro>

  <xacro:macro name="sphere_inertia" params="m r">
    <inertial>
      <mass value="${m}"/>
      <inertia ixx="${(2/5) * m * (r*r)}" ixy="0.0" ixz="0.0" iyy="${(2/5) * m * (r*r)}" iyz="0.0" izz="${(2/5) * m * (r*r)}"/>
    </inertial>
  </xacro:macro>

  <!-- Robot Base -->
  <link name="base_link">
    <visual>
      <origin xyz="0.0 0.0 ${(wheel_radius+wheel_zoff)}" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="${base_length} ${base_width} ${base_height}"/>
      </geometry>
      <material name="Cyan">
        <color rgba="0 1.0 1.0 1.0"/>
      </material>
    </visual>

    <collision>
      <origin xyz="0.0 0.0 ${(wheel_radius+wheel_zoff)}" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="${base_length} ${base_width} ${base_height}"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>

    <xacro:box_inertia m="${lafette_mass}" w="${base_width}" d="${base_length}" h="${base_height}"/>

  </link>

    <!-- Robot Footprint (non physical link for ROS, we need to bring the CoG of the robot to the cntral plane on the ground) -->
  <link name="base_footprint"/>

  <joint name="base_joint" type="fixed">
    <parent link="base_link"/>
    <child link="base_footprint"/>
    <origin xyz="0.0 0.0 ${(wheel_radius+wheel_zoff)}" rpy="0 0 0"/>
  </joint>

<link name="imu_link">
  <visual>
    <geometry>
      <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
    </geometry>
  </visual>

  <collision>
    <geometry>
      <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
    </geometry>
  </collision>

  <xacro:box_inertia m="0.1" w="0.1" d="0.1" h="0.1"/>
</link>

<joint name="imu_joint" type="fixed">
  <parent link="base_link"/>
  <child link="imu_link"/>
  <origin xyz="0 -0.1 ${wheel_radius + base_height + 0.1/2}"/>
</joint>

 <gazebo reference="imu_link">
  <sensor name="imu_sensor" type="imu">
   <plugin filename="libgazebo_ros_imu_sensor.so" name="imu_plugin">
      <ros>
        <namespace>/demo</namespace>
        <remapping>~/out:=imu</remapping>
      </ros>
      <initial_orientation_as_reference>false</initial_orientation_as_reference>
    </plugin>
    <always_on>true</always_on>
    <update_rate>100</update_rate>
    <visualize>true</visualize>
    <imu>
      <angular_velocity>
        <x>
          <noise type="gaussian">
            <mean>0.0</mean>
            <stddev>2e-4</stddev>
            <bias_mean>0.0000075</bias_mean>
            <bias_stddev>0.0000008</bias_stddev>
          </noise>
        </x>
        <y>
          <noise type="gaussian">
            <mean>0.0</mean>
            <stddev>2e-4</stddev>
            <bias_mean>0.0000075</bias_mean>
            <bias_stddev>0.0000008</bias_stddev>
          </noise>
        </y>
        <z>
          <noise type="gaussian">
            <mean>0.0</mean>
            <stddev>2e-4</stddev>
            <bias_mean>0.0000075</bias_mean>
            <bias_stddev>0.0000008</bias_stddev>
          </noise>
        </z>
      </angular_velocity>
      <linear_acceleration>
        <x>
          <noise type="gaussian">
            <mean>0.0</mean>
            <stddev>1.7e-2</stddev>
            <bias_mean>0.1</bias_mean>
            <bias_stddev>0.001</bias_stddev>
          </noise>
        </x>
        <y>
          <noise type="gaussian">
            <mean>0.0</mean>
            <stddev>1.7e-2</stddev>
            <bias_mean>0.1</bias_mean>
            <bias_stddev>0.001</bias_stddev>
          </noise>
        </y>
        <z>
          <noise type="gaussian">
            <mean>0.0</mean>
            <stddev>1.7e-2</stddev>
            <bias_mean>0.1</bias_mean>
            <bias_stddev>0.001</bias_stddev>
          </noise>
        </z>
      </linear_acceleration>
    </imu>
  </sensor>
</gazebo>

<!-- Wheels -->
  <xacro:macro name="wheel" params="prefix x_reflect y_reflect">
    <link name="${prefix}_link">
      <visual>
        <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="${pi/2} 0 0"/>
        <geometry>
            <cylinder radius="${wheel_radius}" length="${wheel_width}"/>
        </geometry>
        <material name="Gray">
          <color rgba="0.5 0.5 0.5 1.0"/>
        </material>
      </visual>

      <collision>
        <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="${pi/2} 0 0"/>
        <geometry>
          <cylinder radius="${wheel_radius}" length="${wheel_width}"/>
        </geometry>
      </collision>

      <xacro:cylinder_inertia m="${wheel_mass}" r="${wheel_radius}" h="${wheel_width}"/>

    </link>

    <joint name="${prefix}_joint" type="continuous">
      <parent link="base_link"/>
      <child link="${prefix}_link"/>
      <origin xyz="${x_reflect*(wheel_xoff - 2*wheel_radius)} ${y_reflect*(wheel_yoff + wheel_width/2)} ${wheel_radius}" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <axis xyz="0 1 0"/>
    </joint>
  </xacro:macro>

<!-- indices: f-front, b-back, l-left, r-right -->
  <xacro:wheel prefix="drivewhl_fl" x_reflect="2" y_reflect="1" />
  <xacro:wheel prefix="drivewhl_fr" x_reflect="2" y_reflect="-1" />
  <xacro:wheel prefix="drivewhl_bl" x_reflect="-2" y_reflect="1" />
  <xacro:wheel prefix="drivewhl_br" x_reflect="-2" y_reflect="-1" />

<gazebo>

 <!-- <plugin name='skid_steer_drive' filename='libgazebo_ros_diff_drive.so'> -->
<plugin name='diff_drive' filename='libgazebo_ros_diff_drive.so'>

        <!-- Number of wheel pairs -->
        <num_wheel_pairs>2</num_wheel_pairs>

        <!-- wheels0 -->
        <left_joint>drivewhl_fl_joint</left_joint>
        <right_joint>drivewhl_fr_joint</right_joint>

        <!-- wheels1-->
        <left_joint>drivewhl_bl_joint</left_joint>
        <right_joint>drivewhl_br_joint</right_joint>

        <!-- kinematics -->
        <wheel_separation>0.6</wheel_separation>
        <wheel_diameter>0.2</wheel_diameter>

        <!-- limits -->
        <max_wheel_torque>20</max_wheel_torque>
        <max_wheel_acceleration>1.0</max_wheel_acceleration>

        <!-- output -->
        <publish_odom>true</publish_odom>
        <publish_odom_tf>true</publish_odom_tf>
        <publish_wheel_tf>true</publish_wheel_tf>

        <odometry_frame>odom</odometry_frame>
        <robot_base_frame>base_link</robot_base_frame>

      </plugin>

</gazebo>

<link name="camera_link">
  <visual>
    <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <geometry>
      <box size="0.015 0.130 0.022"/>
    </geometry>
  </visual>

  <collision>
    <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <geometry>
      <box size="0.015 0.130 0.022"/>
    </geometry>
  </collision>

  <inertial>
    <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <mass value="0.035"/>
    <inertia ixx="0.001"  ixy="0"  ixz="0" iyy="0.001" iyz="0" izz="0.001" />
  </inertial>
</link>

<joint name="camera_joint" type="fixed">
  <parent link="base_link"/>
  <child link="camera_link"/>
  <origin xyz="${base_length/2} 0 ${wheel_radius + base_height/8}" rpy="0 0.78 0"/>
</joint>

<link name="camera_depth_frame"/>

<joint name="camera_depth_joint" type="fixed">
  <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="${-pi/2} 0 ${-pi/2}"/>
  <parent link="camera_link"/>
  <child link="camera_depth_frame"/>
</joint>

<gazebo reference="camera_link">
  <sensor name="depth_camera" type="depth">
    <visualize>true</visualize>
    <update_rate>30.0</update_rate>
    <camera name="camera">
      <horizontal_fov>1.047198</horizontal_fov>
      <image>
        <width>640</width>
        <height>480</height>
        <format>R8G8B8</format>
      </image>
      <clip>
        <near>0.05</near>
        <far>3</far>
      </clip>
    </camera>
    <plugin name="depth_camera_controller" filename="libgazebo_ros_camera.so">
      <baseline>0.2</baseline>
      <alwaysOn>true</alwaysOn>
      <updateRate>0.0</updateRate>
      <frame_name>camera_depth_frame</frame_name>
      <pointCloudCutoff>0.5</pointCloudCutoff>
      <pointCloudCutoffMax>3.0</pointCloudCutoffMax>
      <distortionK1>0</distortionK1>
      <distortionK2>0</distortionK2>
      <distortionK3>0</distortionK3>
      <distortionT1>0</distortionT1>
      <distortionT2>0</distortionT2>
      <CxPrime>0</CxPrime>
      <Cx>0</Cx>
      <Cy>0</Cy>
      <focalLength>0</focalLength>
      <hackBaseline>0</hackBaseline>
    </plugin>
  </sensor>
</gazebo>

<link name="ultrasonic_link">
  <visual>
    <origin xyz="0 0 ${0.055/2}" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <geometry>
      <box size="0.015 0.130 0.022"/>
    </geometry>
  </visual>

  <collision>
    <origin xyz="0 0 ${0.055/2}" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <geometry>
      <box size="0.015 0.130 0.022"/>
    </geometry>
  </collision>

  <inertial>
    <origin xyz="0 0 ${0.055/2}" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <mass value="0.035"/>
    <inertia ixx="0.001"  ixy="0"  ixz="0" iyy="0.001" iyz="0" izz="0.001" />
  </inertial>
</link>

<joint name="ultrasonic_joint" type="fixed">
  <parent link="base_link"/>
  <child link="ultrasonic_link"/>
  <origin xyz="${base_length/2} 0 ${wheel_radius + base_height/2}" rpy="0 0 0"/>
</joint>

<gazebo reference="ultrasonic_link">
  <sensor name="ultrasonic_sensor" type="ray">
    <always_on>true</always_on>
    <visualize>false</visualize>
    <update_rate>5</update_rate>
    <ray>
      <scan>
        <horizontal>
          <samples>5</samples>
          <resolution>1.000000</resolution>
          <min_angle>-0.12</min_angle>
          <max_angle>0.12</max_angle>
        </horizontal>
        <vertical>
          <samples>5</samples>
          <resolution>1.000000</resolution>
          <min_angle>-0.01</min_angle>
          <max_angle>0.01</max_angle>
        </vertical>
      </scan>
      <range>
        <min>0.02</min>
        <max>4</max>
        <resolution>0.01</resolution>
      </range>
      <noise>
        <type>gaussian</type>
        <mean>0.0</mean>
        <stddev>0.01</stddev>
      </noise>
    </ray>
    <plugin name="ultrasonic_sensor_1" filename="libgazebo_ros_ray_sensor.so">
      <ros>
        <remapping>~/out:=ultrasonic_sensor</remapping>
      </ros>
      <output_type>sensor_msgs/Range</output_type>
      <radiation_type>ultrasound</radiation_type>
      <frame_name>ultrasonic_link</frame_name>
    </plugin>
  </sensor>  
</gazebo>

<link name="GNSS_link">
  <visual>
    <geometry>
      <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
    </geometry>
  </visual>

  <collision>
    <geometry>
      <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
    </geometry>
  </collision>

  <xacro:box_inertia m="0.1" w="0.1" d="0.1" h="0.1"/>
</link>

<joint name="GNSS_joint" type="fixed">
  <parent link="base_link"/>
  <child link="GNSS_link"/>
  <origin xyz="0 0.05 ${wheel_radius + base_height + 0.1/2}"/>
</joint>

<gazebo reference="GNSS_link">
<sensor name="tb3_gps" type="gps">
  <always_on>true</always_on>
  <update_rate>1</update_rate>
  <pose>0 0 0 0 0 0</pose>
  <gps>
    <position_sensing>
      <horizontal>
        <noise type="gaussian">
          <mean>0.0</mean>
          <stddev>0.01</stddev>
        </noise>
      </horizontal>
      <vertical>
        <noise type="gaussian">
          <mean>0.0</mean>
          <stddev>0.01</stddev>
        </noise>
      </vertical>
    </position_sensing>
  </gps>
  <plugin name="my_gps_plugin" filename="libgazebo_ros_gps_sensor.so">
    <ros>
      <remapping>~/out:=/gps/fix</remapping>
    </ros>
  </plugin>
</sensor>
</gazebo>

 <link name="lidar_link">
    <collision>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
         <cylinder radius="0.0508" length="0.055"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>

    <visual>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
         <cylinder radius="0.0508" length="0.055"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>

    <xacro:cylinder_inertia m="0.01" r="0.0508" h="0.055"/>
  </link>

  <joint name="lidar_joint" type="fixed">
    <parent link="base_link"/>
    <child link="lidar_link"/>
      <origin xyz="0.2 0 ${wheel_radius + base_height + 0.1/2}"/>
  </joint>

  <gazebo reference="lidar_link">
    <sensor name="lidar" type="ray">
      <always_on>true</always_on>
      <visualize>true</visualize>
      <update_rate>5</update_rate>
      <ray>
        <scan>
          <horizontal>
            <samples>70</samples>
            <resolution>1.000000</resolution>
            <min_angle>-0.61</min_angle>
            <max_angle>0.61</max_angle>
          </horizontal>
        </scan>
        <range>
          <min>0.120000</min>
          <max>3.5</max>
          <resolution>0.015000</resolution>
        </range>
        <noise>
          <type>gaussian</type>
          <mean>0.0</mean>
          <stddev>0.01</stddev>
        </noise>
      </ray>
      <plugin name="scan" filename="libgazebo_ros_ray_sensor.so">
        <ros>
          <remapping>~/out:=scan</remapping>
        </ros>
        <output_type>sensor_msgs/LaserScan</output_type>
        <frame_name>lidar_link</frame_name>
      </plugin>
    </sensor>
  </gazebo>

</robot>

This is my launch file slam_algorithm.launch.py:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

# Copyright 2019 ROBOTIS CO., LTD.
#
# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
# You may obtain a copy of the License at
#
#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
#
# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
# limitations under the License.
#
# Authors: Joep Tool

import os
from ament_index_python.packages import get_package_share_directory
from launch import LaunchDescription
from launch import actions
from launch.actions import IncludeLaunchDescription
from launch.launch_description_sources import PythonLaunchDescriptionSource
from launch.substitutions import LaunchConfiguration, Command
import launch_ros

def generate_launch_description():

    pkg_share = launch_ros.substitutions.FindPackageShare(package='slam_train').find('slam_train')
    pkg_gazebo_ros = get_package_share_directory('gazebo_ros')
    path_lafette = os.path.join(pkg_share, 'urdf', 'Lafette_small_urdf.urdf')
    bringup_dir = get_package_share_directory('nav2_bringup')
    launch_dir = os.path.join(bringup_dir, 'launch')

    world = os.path.join(get_package_share_directory('turtlebot3_gazebo'), 'worlds', 'turtlebot3_house.world')
    #world = os.path.join(os.environ['HOME'], '.gazebo', 'models', 'factory', 'factory.model')
    #world = os.path.join(pkg_share, 'worlds', 'baylands.world')

    declare_use_sim_time = actions.DeclareLaunchArgument(name='use_sim_time', default_value='true', description='Use simulation (Gazebo) clock if true')

    declare_model_urdf = actions.DeclareLaunchArgument(name='model', default_value=path_lafette, description='Absolute path to robot urdf file')

    robot_state_publisher_node = launch_ros.actions.Node(
        package='robot_state_publisher',
        executable='robot_state_publisher',
        parameters=[{'robot_description': Command(['xacro ', LaunchConfiguration('model')])}]
    )

    joint_state_publisher_node = launch_ros.actions.Node(
        package='joint_state_publisher',
        executable='joint_state_publisher',
        name='joint_state_publisher',
        parameters=[{'use_sim_time' : LaunchConfiguration('use_sim_time')}]
    )

    gzserver_cmd = IncludeLaunchDescription(
        PythonLaunchDescriptionSource(
            os.path.join(pkg_gazebo_ros, 'launch', 'gzserver.launch.py')
        ),
        launch_arguments={'world': world}.items()
    )

    gzclient_cmd = IncludeLaunchDescription(
        PythonLaunchDescriptionSource(
            os.path.join(pkg_gazebo_ros, 'launch', 'gzclient.launch.py')
        )
    )

    spawn_entity = launch_ros.actions.Node(
        package='gazebo_ros',
        executable='spawn_entity.py',
        arguments=[
            '-entity', 'Lafette',
            '-topic', 'robot_description',
            '-x', '-1.8',  # X position
            '-y', '0.0',  # Y position
            '-z', '0.0',  # Z position (usually 0 for ground-based robots)
            '-Y', '0.0'  # Yaw orientation (in radians; here, 1.57 radians equals 90 degrees)
            ],
        output='screen'
        )

    default_rviz_config_path = os.path.join(pkg_share, 'rviz/urdf_config.rviz')

       # Declare the launch argument
    declare_rviz_config = actions.DeclareLaunchArgument(name='rvizconfig', default_value=default_rviz_config_path, description='path to rviz config file')

    rviz_node = launch_ros.actions.Node(
        package='rviz2',
        executable='rviz2',
        name='rviz2',
        output='screen',
        arguments=['-d', LaunchConfiguration('rvizconfig')],
    )

    slam_toolbox_dir = os.path.join(get_package_share_directory('slam_toolbox'), 'launch')

    slam_toolbox_launch = IncludeLaunchDescription(PythonLaunchDescriptionSource(os.path.join(slam_toolbox_dir, 'online_async_launch.py')),
        launch_arguments={
            'slam_params_file': os.path.join(pkg_share, 'config_slam', 'mapper_params_online_async.yaml'),
            'use_sim_time': LaunchConfiguration('use_sim_time')
            }.items()
    )

    ld = LaunchDescription()

    # Add the commands to the launch description

    # variables
    ld.add_action(declare_use_sim_time)
    ld.add_action(declare_model_urdf)

    #interfaces
    ld.add_action(gzserver_cmd)
    ld.add_action(gzclient_cmd)

    ##packages
    ld.add_action(robot_state_publisher_node)
    ld.add_action(joint_state_publisher_node)
    ld.add_action(spawn_entity)
    ld.add_action(declare_rviz_config)
    ld.add_action(rviz_node)
    ld.add_action(slam_toolbox_launch)

    return ld

This is the configuration file mapper_params_online_async.yaml:

slam_toolbox:
  ros__parameters:

    # Plugin params
    solver_plugin: solver_plugins::CeresSolver
    ceres_linear_solver: SPARSE_NORMAL_CHOLESKY
    ceres_preconditioner: SCHUR_JACOBI
    ceres_trust_strategy: LEVENBERG_MARQUARDT
    ceres_dogleg_type: TRADITIONAL_DOGLEG
    ceres_loss_function: None

    # ROS Parameters
    odom_frame: odom
    map_frame: map
    base_frame: base_footprint
    scan_topic: /scan
    odom_topic: /odom
    #use_map_saver: true
    mode: mapping # localization

    # if you'd like to immediately start continuing a map at a given pose
    # or at the dock, but they are mutually exclusive, if pose is given
    # will use pose
    #map_file_name: /home/arad2456/ros2_ws/map_serial
    #map_start_pose: [-1.8, 0.0, 0.0]
    map_start_at_dock: true

    debug_logging: false
    throttle_scans: 1
    transform_publish_period: 0.02 #if 0 never publishes odometry
    map_update_interval: 5.0
    resolution: 0.05
    max_laser_range: 20.0 #for rastering images
    minimum_time_interval: 0.5
    transform_timeout: 0.2
    tf_buffer_duration: 30.
    stack_size_to_use: 40000000 #// program needs a larger stack size to serialize large maps
    enable_interactive_mode: true

    # General Parameters
    use_scan_matching: true
    use_scan_barycenter: true
    minimum_travel_distance: 0.1
    minimum_travel_heading: 0.15
    scan_buffer_size: 10
    scan_buffer_maximum_scan_distance: 10.0
    link_match_minimum_response_fine: 0.1  
    link_scan_maximum_distance: 1.5
    loop_search_maximum_distance: 3.0
    do_loop_closing: true 
    loop_match_minimum_chain_size: 10           
    loop_match_maximum_variance_coarse: 3.0  
    loop_match_minimum_response_coarse: 0.35    
    loop_match_minimum_response_fine: 0.45

    # Correlation Parameters - Correlation Parameters
    correlation_search_space_dimension: 0.5
    correlation_search_space_resolution: 0.01
    correlation_search_space_smear_deviation: 0.1 

    # Correlation Parameters - Loop Closure Parameters
    loop_search_space_dimension: 8.0
    loop_search_space_resolution: 0.05
    loop_search_space_smear_deviation: 0.03

    # Scan Matcher Parameters
    distance_variance_penalty: 0.5      
    angle_variance_penalty: 1.0    

    fine_search_angle_offset: 0.00349     
    coarse_search_angle_offset: 0.349   
    coarse_angle_resolution: 0.0349        
    minimum_angle_penalty: 0.9
    minimum_distance_penalty: 0.5
    use_response_expansion: true

for reproduction, this is the rviz configuration file urdf_config.rviz:

Panels:
  - Class: rviz_common/Displays
    Help Height: 78
    Name: Displays
    Property Tree Widget:
      Expanded:
        - /Global Options1
        - /Status1
        - /RobotModel1/Links1
        - /TF1
      Splitter Ratio: 0.5
    Tree Height: 557

  - Class: rviz_common/Views
    Expanded:
      - /Current View1
    Name: Views
    Splitter Ratio: 0.5

Visualization Manager:
  Class: ""
  Displays:
    - Alpha: 0.5
      Cell Size: 1
      Class: rviz_default_plugins/Grid
      Color: 160; 160; 164
      Enabled: true
      Name: Grid
    - Alpha: 0.6
      Class: rviz_default_plugins/RobotModel

      Description Topic:
        Depth: 5
        Durability Policy: Volatile
        History Policy: Keep Last
        Reliability Policy: Reliable
        Value: /robot_description
      Enabled: true
      Name: RobotModel
      Visual Enabled: true
    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/TF
      Enabled: true
      Name: TF
      Marker Scale: 0.1
      Show Arrows: true
      Show Axes: true
      Show Names: true

    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/LaserScan
      Name: LaserScan
      Topic: /scan
      Queue Size: 10
      Style: points
      Size (Point): 0.03
      Color Transformer: Intensity
      Enabled: true

    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/Map
      Name: Map
      Topic: /map
      Queue Size: 10
      Enabled: true

  Global Options:
    Background Color: 48; 48; 48
    Fixed Frame: map
    Frame Rate: 30
  Name: root

  Tools:
    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/Interact
      Hide Inactive Objects: true
    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/MoveCamera
    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/Select
    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/FocusCamera
    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/Measure
    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/PublishPoint
    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/SetInitialPose
    - Class: rviz_default_plugins/SetGoal
      Line color: 128; 128; 0

  Transformation:
    Current:
      Class: rviz_default_plugins/TF
  Value: true

  Views:
    Current:
      Class: rviz_default_plugins/TopDownOrtho
      Name: Current View
      Target Frame: <Fixed Frame>
      Value: Orbit (rviz)
    Saved: ~

[SteveMacenski]

Please follow up in the other ticket if its regarding the same topic :smile: