Your Friendly Neighborhood Navigator. Creator of Nav2, SLAM Toolbox, and the leader of the ROS 2 navigation ecosystem deployed by 350+ companies and 10,000+ robots worldwide. Former ROS Technical Governance & Steering Committees.
My work focuses on creating missing technologies to enable broad larger-scale commercialization of robotics and physical AI, with an emphasis on reliability and flexibility. I also enjoy technical communication (publications, keynotes) to promote field accelerants.
I am currently the CEO of Open Navigation LLC providing partnerships and support services to the ROS and Nav2 communities. I also volunteer my time as a Senior Editor of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Practice journal and an Advisory Board member at the Maryland Robotics Center.
looking for help?
Whether you need navigation expertise, ROS 2 consulting, robotics architecture guidance, or just want to tell me about your cool project using Nav2, let's talk!
Get in Touchwhat people say
"Steve is a prolific contributor and technical leader in the ROS community. His work on Nav2 has become the standard navigation framework for ROS 2, impacting thousands of robots worldwide."
- Moonki Hong, Samsung Research
"Steve's contributions to open-source robotics are unmatched. He gives his time generously and shares his experiences openly to advance the entire field."
- ROS Developer Awards
"An outstanding systems thinker who has fundamentally shaped how the robotics industry approaches navigation and autonomy."
- Geoff Biggs, OSRF