naturerobots/move_base_flex

What it solves

Move Base Flex (MBF) provides a modular, map-agnostic interface layer for robot navigation. It solves the problem of rigid navigation stacks that are tied to specific map representations (like 2D costmaps), allowing developers to easily swap planners, controllers, and recovery behaviors regardless of whether they are using 2D grids, 3D meshes, or voxel grids.

How it works

MBF acts as an adaptable interface between high-level deliberation software (such as Behavior Trees or SMACH) and the low-level navigation implementations. It uses a modular architecture based on abstract base classes for planners, controllers, and recovery behaviors. By separating the action servers for path planning, control, and recovery, it allows external logic to coordinate complex navigation strategies and select different plugins at runtime.

Who it’s for

It is designed for robotics developers and researchers who need a flexible foundation for prototyping and deploying customized navigation systems that can operate across different map types or require high transparency in feedback and error reporting.

Highlights

• Map-Agnostic Design: Interfaces work independently of the map representation used.
• Modular Action Servers: Separate servers for planning, control, and recovery for better coordination.
• Plugin Framework: Supports loading and selecting multiple implementations simultaneously or in parallel.
• Detailed Diagnostics: Provides rich feedback and error codes for better system supervision and debugging.