NaV17

Nav17 refers to a fictional open-source navigation framework designed for autonomous systems. It provides a modular stack integrating perception, localization, mapping, motion planning, and control. The project aims to unify data handling across heterogeneous sensors (lidar, stereo cameras, radar, GPS) and support real-time operation on embedded hardware. It emphasizes interoperability with common robotics middleware and robotic operating system (ROS) conventions, using a flexible data model to accommodate map representations, probabilistic localization, and graph-based optimization.

In design, Nav17 features a layered architecture with sensor adapters, a backend core for state estimation, a map manager, a global planner for route generation, a local planner for obstacle avoidance, and a control interface. It supports multi-vehicle navigation, dynamic obstacle handling, loop closure for mapping, and a simulation bridge for virtual testing. The core algorithms are modular and replaceable, enabling researchers to swap SLAM backends, planners, or controllers. The license is open-source under the MIT license, encouraging contributions and reproducibility.

Nav17 has seen use in academic demonstrations, robotics competitions, and some industry pilots, particularly in research labs exploring autonomous navigation in complex environments. Critics note the framework’s complexity and integration overhead, but proponents argue it offers a cohesive reference architecture for evaluating navigation ideas. The project has informed discussions about standard interfaces and interoperability in modern navigation stacks.