Navigation & SLAM

Local Planner

A local planner is the navigation component that converts a global route into immediate velocity commands, reactively avoiding nearby obstacles while respecting the robot's kinematic and dynamic limits. Classic algorithms include the dynamic window approach (DWA) and timed elastic bands (TEB), both standard in the ROS navigation stack, with model predictive control and learned local policies increasingly used. It typically operates on a rolling local costmap at high frequency.

Why it matters for physical AI

Real-world spaces change faster than maps; the local planner is where a robot's split-second reactions to people, carts, and clutter are decided, making it decisive for safe deployment among humans.