Advancing Frontiers in SLAM: A Survey of Symbolic Representation and Human-Machine Teaming in Environmental Mapping

This survey paper presents a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in the field of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) with a focus on the integration of symbolic representation of environment features. The paper synthesizes research trends in multi-agent systems (MAS) and human-machine teaming, highlighting their applications in both symbolic and sub-symbolic SLAM tasks. The survey emphasizes the evolution and significance of ontological designs and symbolic reasoning in creating sophisticated 2D and 3D maps of various environments. Central to this review is the exploration of different architectural approaches in SLAM, with a particular interest in the functionalities and applications of edge and control agent architectures in MAS settings. This study acknowledges the growing demand for enhanced human-machine collaboration in mapping tasks and examines how these collaborative efforts improve the accuracy and efficiency of environmental mapping