isaac-sim-robot-navigation

Drives robots through USD scenes at runtime in NVIDIA Isaac Sim using RL policies and physics control.

4.0k|530|Updated May 28, 2025
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/isaac-sim/IsaacSim --skill isaac-sim-robot-navigation
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: isaac-sim-robot-navigation
Source: https://github.com/isaac-sim/IsaacSim/tree/main/skills/isaac-sim-robot-navigation
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/isaac-sim/IsaacSim --skill isaac-sim-robot-navigation

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Running a robot live through an Isaac Sim scene in your own script involves hidden pitfalls: physics that never steps because the timeline is not playing, GPU out-of-memory crashes on 98K-prim stages, and Kit 110 hangs after kill-and-relaunch cycles. This Skill provides the runtime patterns, failure-mode fixes, and API references needed to navigate a robot reliably.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • RL Policy Execution: Load and run locomotion policies via PolicyController and drive articulations with isaacsim.core.experimental.prims.Articulation.
  • Heavy-Stage Strategies: Choose between physics simulation, baked timeSamples, or per-frame transforms, and strip non-robot physics to keep 33K+ prim stages responsive.
  • Kit 110 Gotcha Reference: Covers timeline.play requirements, asyncio event-loop subscription, capture_viewport_to_file result handling, and GPU OOM recovery.
  • Use Case: You have a Spot robot USD and a large warehouse stage. Use this Skill to load an RL policy, follow an A* trajectory from navigation-primitives, and render a chase-camera run without hitting Vulkan OOM errors.

Quick Start

Ask the AI to write an Isaac Sim script that loads a Spot robot, plays the timeline, runs a PolicyController along a planned route, and avoids GPU OOM on a heavy stage.

Frequently Asked Questions about isaac-sim-robot-navigation

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I run an RL policy on a robot in Isaac Sim?

Load the policy with isaacsim.robot.policy.examples.controllers.PolicyController and apply its actions to the robot articulation each physics step. The timeline must be playing via omni.timeline.get_timeline_interface().play() or physics never steps.

Why does physics not step in my Isaac Sim script?

Physics never steps unless the timeline is playing, so call timeline.play() before expecting simulation. After a kill-and-relaunch, dirty GPU state can also block stepping; wait 30+ seconds and verify no Kit processes remain.

How do I avoid GPU out of memory when navigating large Isaac Sim scenes?

Switch from baked timeSamples to per-frame transform updates when rendering 50K+ prim stages with RT2. Also strip RigidBodyAPI and CollisionAPI from all non-robot prims to reduce simulation and memory load.

Should I use physics simulation or baked transforms for robot navigation?

Use live physics when you need real dynamics and the stage is light enough; strip non-robot physics on 33K+ prim stages to avoid hangs. For heavy stages, per-frame transforms avoid the OOM risk of baked timeSamples.

Why does my robot float above the ground or fall through the floor?

The robot's Z offset is wrong for its footprint. Consult the Robot Footprint table in the navigation-primitives skill, which lists correct heights such as Spot at Z=0.69.