SLAM Toolbox

This page shows how to run SLAM Toolbox on the RoboRacer and visualize the map in RViz2.

🎥 Video Walkthrough


Important

You must have the controller powered on and connected before starting SLAM. If the controller is not connected, the vehicle will not publish drive data and SLAM will not begin building a map.

Note

Run the slam alias to start SLAM Toolbox:

slam

What slam runs:

ros2 launch slam_toolbox online_async_launch.py \
  params_file:=/home/nvidia/f1tenth_ws/src/f1tenth_system/f1tenth_stack/config/f1tenth_online_async.yaml

If your RoboRacer name is f1-wsu-1, your path would look like:

ros2 launch slam_toolbox online_async_launch.py \
  params_file:=/home/f1-wsu-1/f1tenth_ws/src/f1tenth_system/f1tenth_stack/config/f1tenth_online_async.yaml

Run Steps

1️⃣ Bringup (Terminal 1)

Start the car stack (sensors + drivers + base nodes).

cd ~/f1tenth_ws
source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
source install/setup.bash

bringup

2️⃣ Turn On and Connect Controller

  • Power on the transmitter

  • Confirm it is bound to the vehicle

  • Verify you have steering and throttle response

SLAM will not build a map unless the car is moving.

3️⃣ Start SLAM Toolbox (Terminal 2)

Open a separate terminal and run:

cd ~/f1tenth_ws
source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
source install/setup.bash

slam

4️⃣ Open RViz2 (Terminal 3)

Open another terminal (often on your laptop) and run:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
rviz2

Configure RViz2

After RViz2 opens:

1️⃣ Set the Fixed Frame

  • Top left → Global Options

  • Set Fixed Frame to:

map
Configure Map display settings in RViz2

2️⃣ Add Map Display

  • Click Add

  • Select Map

Configure Map display settings in RViz2

Then configure the Map display:

  • Topic → make sure it is:

/map

  • Topic → History Policy → Keep All

  • Topic → Durability Policy → Transient Local

  • Update Topic → Durability Policy → Transient Local

Configure Map display settings in RViz2

3️⃣ Add GraphVisualization

  • Click Add

  • Select GraphVisualization

Configure Map display settings in RViz2

4️⃣ Add SLAM Toolbox Panel

  • Top left → Panels

  • Select Add New Panel

  • Choose:

SlamToolBoxPlugin

5️⃣ Drive the Car to Build the Map

With SLAM Toolbox running and RViz2 open, use the PlayStation controller to drive the car around the course. As you drive, you will see the map build in real time in RViz2.

Tips for a good map:

  • Drive slowly and smoothly to give the LiDAR time to capture accurate scans.

  • Cover the entire course — drive every section of the track at least once.

  • It is perfectly fine to drive back over paths you have already mapped — this helps SLAM close loops and improve accuracy.

  • Try to avoid crashing, as sudden movements can introduce scan errors.

  • You may notice stray scan lines that appear to extend outside the track boundaries — this is normal and expected. They will not affect navigation.

Example map built using SLAM Toolbox while driving the course

Example map created while driving the RoboRacer around the course. Stray scans outside the boundary are normal.

Note

When you are satisfied that the map covers the full course, proceed to the next page to save the map.

Common Checks

  • Confirm /scan is publishing.

  • Confirm controller is connected.

  • Confirm Fixed Frame is map.

  • Confirm Map topic is /map.

  • Confirm Durability is set to Transient Local.

  • Confirm both machines use the same ROS_DOMAIN_ID.