mrpt_tps_astar_planner

Overview

This package provides a ROS 2 node that uses the PTG-based A* planner from mrpt_path_planning to compute collision-free waypoint sequences for a non-holonomic robot, respecting its real shape, orientation, and kinematic constraints.

Planning is performed on a SE(2) lattice using Parameterized Trajectory Generator (PTG) families that encode the robot’s motion primitives. The result is published as a mrpt_msgs/WaypointSequence (and a nav_msgs/Path for visualization) and/or returned as the response of a ROS 2 service call.

The node supports concurrent service requests: each executor thread owns a lazily-initialized planner instance, so multiple clients can request plans simultaneously without blocking each other.

How to cite

Configuration

Key configuration files passed as ROS 2 parameters:

Demos

See the path-planner-sandbox/ subdirectory for standalone test scripts and sample maps.

Node: mrpt_tps_astar_planner_node

Working rationale

1. Obstacle data are maintained from subscribed gridmaps and/or point-cloud topics (updated asynchronously, protected by a mutex).
2. On each planning request (topic goal or service call) the node snapshots the current obstacle data, builds cost evaluators, and runs the A* planner.
3. The planned path is interpolated at a fixed time step and converted to a WaypointSequence.

The A* implementation is an anytime algorithm: it improves the solution while time allows, then returns the best found. An optional refinement pass (astar_skip_refine: false) further smooths the result.

ROS 2 parameters

Subscribed topics

Published topics

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Changelog for package mrpt_tps_astar_planner_node

2.4.0 (2026-04-19)

• Merge pull request #158 from mrpt-ros-pkg/feat/parallel-planner Implement parallel A* planner; misc bug and style fixes

• Fix QoS type usage

• astar planner: made reentrant for serving multiple service calls in multithread

• Improve readme

• fix(tps_astar_planner): fix crashes, null deref, and minor log bugs

  - Replace ASSERT_(robot_pose_ok) with graceful error+return in both callback_goal and srv_make_plan_to, so a temporary TF outage does not abort the node or throw inside a service callback.

  - Add null guards before using e.grid_obstacles / e.obstacle_points in do_path_plan() and init_3d_debug() — both can be nullptr if the respective topic callback has not fired yet.

  - Call init_3d_debug() from do_path_plan() when gui_mrpt_ is true, so the 3D window is actually opened (was dead code).

  - Protect pub_costmaps_ resize and lazy publisher creation with pub_costmaps_cs_ mutex.

  - Fix copy-paste error: srv_make_plan_from_to catch block logged wrong function name.

  • Fix log format string: "topic_wp_seq_pub%s" -> "topic_wp_seq_pub: %s".

  - Launch file: lowercase 'false' for problem_world_bbox_ignore_obstacles and astar_skip_refine boolean args (was Python-cased 'False').

• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

2.3.1 (2026-04-02)

2.3.0 (2025-10-26)

2.2.4 (2025-07-24)

2.2.3 (2025-07-22)

• FIX: Build against recent tf2 versions
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

2.2.2 (2025-05-28)

• FIX: remove usage of obsolete ament_target_dependencies()
• Merge pull request #156 from r-aguilera/ros2 mrpt_tps_astar_planner_node: improves on obstacle points update
• astar_planner: limit excessive obstacle points ... logging
• astar_planner: prevent node from shutting down ... on missing tf info
• astar planner node: it will always return the best found path, even if success==false
• Merge pull request #155 from r-aguilera/ros2 Fix MakePlanFromTo srv using robot pose as start
• Fix MakePlanFromTo srv using robot pose as start
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco, Raúl Aguilera

2.2.1 (2024-10-12)

• Update demo for astar
• Publish costmaps to ROS for visualization too apart of the custom MRPT GUI
• Improve astar navigation demo
• astar planner: add refine() step and parameter to optionally disable it
• astar node: add two more launch args: problem_world_bbox_margin and problem_world_bbox_ignore_obstacles
• astar params: add more comments and tune for speed
• PTGs .ini: Add docs on how to enable backward motions
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

2.2.0 (2024-09-25)

• fix missing linters; tune tutorial params
• Update URL entries in package.xml to each package proper documentation
• ament linters: manually enable just cmake and xml linters
• Add roslog INFO traces to measure time spent initializing PTGs
• reformat clang-format with 100 column width
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

2.1.1 (2024-09-02)

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