In robotics, we use the phrase “Ground Truth” to refer to exact spatial positions.
When working with ZED Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO) or LiDAR SLAM, you quickly realize: Ground truth is just the best available statistical estimate.
Sensors drift, cameras drop frames under low lighting, and wheel encoders slip. In robotics, “truth” doesn’t mean absolute reality — it means “a high-confidence estimate that hasn’t crashed into a wall yet.” 🤖