Navigation & SLAM

Kidnapped Robot Problem

The kidnapped robot problem is the localization scenario in which a robot is moved to an unknown location without notification, so its belief about its pose is confidently wrong rather than merely uncertain. It is the standard stress test for global relocalization, favoring methods like Monte Carlo localization with particle reinjection and place-recognition systems that can recover from total tracking failure.

Why it matters for physical AI

Real deployments produce kidnapping-like events constantly, through elevator rides, manual repositioning, and tracking dropouts, so graceful global relocalization separates robust fleets from demo-grade navigation.