Navigate To

When to Use

Use this skill when the user wants the robot to move to a specific location, such as:

• "Go to the kitchen"
• "Navigate to position (3, 2)"
• "Move to waypoint B"
• "Drive to the charging station"

How It Works

Navigation uses the Nav2 stack via the navigate_to_pose action server. The robot plans a path from its current position to the goal and follows it while avoiding obstacles.

Steps

1. Determine the goal position: Ask the user for coordinates if not provided, or map a named location to coordinates.
2. Check the robot's current position: Use ros2_subscribe_once on /amcl_pose to get the current pose.
3. Send the navigation goal: Use ros2_action_goal (Phase 2) or ros2_publish to the appropriate Nav2 topic.
4. Monitor progress: Periodically check /navigate_to_pose/_action/status for completion.
5. Report result: Tell the user when the robot has arrived or if navigation failed.

Example: Navigate to coordinates

Tool: ros2_publish
Topic: /goal_pose
Type: geometry_msgs/msg/PoseStamped
Message:
{
  "header": {
    "frame_id": "map"
  },
  "pose": {
    "position": { "x": 3.0, "y": 2.0, "z": 0.0 },
    "orientation": { "x": 0.0, "y": 0.0, "z": 0.0, "w": 1.0 }
  }
}

Safety Notes

• Always confirm the goal is within workspace limits before sending.
• If the robot reports a navigation failure, inform the user and suggest alternatives.
• The user can say /estop at any time to immediately halt the robot.