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.

At startup the PTG lookup tables are built in the background, which can take tens of seconds. Goals and service requests received meanwhile are rejected with a warning in the log (PTGs initialized marks when the node is ready).

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

2.6.1 (2026-10-02)

2.6.0 (2026-10-01)

• Merge pull request #176 from mrpt-ros-pkg/docs/tps-astar-planner-params
• Enable backward motion in the default PTG set
• mrpt_tps_astar_planner: document the weighted-A* and Reeds-Shepp planner options
• Merge pull request #175 from mrpt-ros-pkg/mrpt3
• Merge ros2 into mrpt3
• Declare missing MRPT 3.x package.xml dependencies
• mrpt_tps_astar_planner: link the split-off mrpt_path_planning_viz lib
• mrpt_tps_astar_planner: link against the actual mpp::mrpt_path_planning target
• Merge pull request #174 from mrpt-ros-pkg/fix/astar-planner-mpp-compat
• fix(tps_astar_planner): properly SFINAE-guard windowTitle and ptgStepIndex
• fix: sfinae to set window title on mrpt_path_planning newer versions
• tps_astar_planner: fix clang-format violation blocking CI
• tps_astar_planner_node: densify solution path before GUI render, titled window
• update to use new mpp lib structure
• Merge pull request #169 from mrpt-ros-pkg/feat/astar-footprint-aware-costmap
• feat(tps_astar_planner): footprint-aware clearance costmap (back-compatible)
• Merge pull request #168 from mrpt-ros-pkg/fix/tps-astar-concurrent-planning-race
• fix(tps_astar_planner): serialize planning to avoid concurrent PTG corruption
• Merge pull request #163 from mrpt-ros-pkg/feature/ccache-support
• build: enable ccache in all packages when available
• Port to mrpt3: fix yaml API, mrpt::opengl→viz, CImage, asCvMatRef
• Port to MRPT 3.x: rename packages and targets
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

2.5.0 (2026-05-11)

• Merge pull request #161 from mrpt-ros-pkg/fix-threads Fix threads
• fix: safer multithreading access
• Merge pull request #159 from mrpt-ros-pkg/bump-cmake bump min req cmake version to 3.22
• bump min req cmake version to 3.22
• fix: remove deadcode on debug 3D window
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

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

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