# A Robust Approach for LiDAR-Inertial Odometry Without Sensor-Specific Modeling

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.06593 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.06593/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 8 Sep 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Auto-Labelling-Based Domain Transfer for 3D Object Detection on a Bicycle-Mounted LiDAR Platform](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.25652/) (2026)
- [OctoSense: Self-Supervised Learning for Multimodal Robot Perception](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.27317/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Accurate odometry is a critical component in a robotic navigation stack, and subsequent modules such as planning and control often rely on an estimate of the robot's motion. Sensor-based odometry approaches should be robust across sensor types and deployable in different target domains, from solid-state LiDARs mounted on cars in urban-driving scenarios to spinning LiDARs on handheld packages used in unstructured natural environments. In this paper, we propose a robust LiDAR-inertial odometry system that does not rely on sensor-specific modeling. Sensor fusion techniques for LiDAR and inertial measurement unit (IMU) data typically integrate IMU data iteratively in a Kalman filter or use pre-integration in a factor graph framework, combined with LiDAR scan matching often exploiting some form of feature extraction. We propose an alternative strategy that only requires a simplified motion model for IMU integration and directly registers LiDAR scans in a scan-to-map approach. Our approach allows us to impose a novel regularization on the LiDAR registration, improving the overall odometry performance. We detail extensive experiments on a number of datasets covering a wide array of commonly used robotic sensors and platforms. We show that our approach works with the exact same configuration in all these scenarios, demonstrating its robustness. We have open-sourced our implementation so that the community can build further on our work and use it in their navigation stacks.