slam_toolbox Guide

Last Updated: Nov 19, 2025

Slam Toolbox is a set of tools and capabilities for 2D SLAM. More details can be found on its GitHub page.

In this guide, we list all the commands you’ll need for tasks related to the final competition. Basically whenever you would normally run mbot_slam, simply replace those commands with the corresponding slam_toolbox commands.

Contents

• Contents
• Teleop mapping
• Goal setting exploration
• Autonomous Exploration

Teleop mapping

1. VSCode Terminal #1: launch the robot model, TF, LiDAR node.

    ros2 launch mbot_bringup mbot_bringup.launch.py 
   

2. Put the robot in the maze
3. VSCode Terminal #2: launch slam_toolbox

    ros2 launch mbot_navigation slam_toolbox_online_async_launch.py
   

4. VSCode Terminal #3: Run teleop node to drive robot to explore the area

    ros2 run teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard
   

5. Start rviz or foxglove

    # NoMachine
    cd ~/mbot_ws/src/mbot_navigation/rviz
    ros2 run rviz2 rviz2 -d mapping.rviz
   

    # VSCode Terminal #4
    ros2 launch foxglove_bridge foxglove_bridge_launch.xml
   

6. VSCode Terminal #5: Save the map. In this example, we save it to the mbot_nav/maps folder so it can be used for A* path-planning tests.

    cd ~/mbot_ros_labs/src/mbot_nav/maps
    ros2 run nav2_map_server map_saver_cli -f map_name
   

Goal setting exploration

1. VSCode Terminal #1: launch the robot model, TF, LiDAR node.

    ros2 launch mbot_bringup mbot_bringup.launch.py 
   

2. Put the robot in the maze
3. VSCode Terminal #2: launch slam_toolbox

    ros2 launch mbot_navigation slam_toolbox_online_async_launch.py
   

4. VSCode Terminal #3: Run motion controller, notice, this is the controller in mbot_nav.

    ros2 run mbot_nav motion_controller_diff
   

5. VSCode Terminal #4: Run path planner

    ros2 run mbot_nav navigation_node --ros-args -p pose_source:=tf
   

6. Start rviz. You can use “2D Goal Pose” to set the goal pose to lead the mbot to explore.

    # NoMachine
    cd ~/mbot_ros_labs/src/mbot_nav/rviz
    ros2 run rviz2 rviz2 -d path_planning.rviz
   

7. VSCode Terminal #6: Save the map

    cd ~/mbot_ros_labs/src/mbot_nav/maps
    ros2 run nav2_map_server map_saver_cli -f map_name
   

Autonomous Exploration

1. VSCode Terminal #1: launch the robot model, TF, LiDAR node.

    ros2 launch mbot_bringup mbot_bringup.launch.py 
   

2. Put the robot in the maze
3. VSCode Terminal #2: launch slam_toolbox

    ros2 launch mbot_navigation slam_toolbox_online_async_launch.py
   

4. VSCode Terminal #3: Run motion controller, notice, this is the controller in mbot_nav.

    ros2 run mbot_nav motion_controller_diff
   

5. VSCode Terminal #4: Run exploration node

    ros2 run mbot_nav exploration_node
   

6. Start rviz or foxglove

    # NoMachine
    cd ~/mbot_ws/src/mbot_navigation/rviz
    ros2 run rviz2 rviz2 -d mapping.rviz
   

    # VSCode Terminal #5
    ros2 launch foxglove_bridge foxglove_bridge_launch.xml
   

7. VSCode Terminal #6: Save the map

    cd ~/mbot_ros_labs/src/mbot_nav/maps
    ros2 run nav2_map_server map_saver_cli -f map_name