Top Free and Open Source Path Planning Tools

6. MoveIt (ROS and ROS2)

Best for: Industrial robotic path planning and collision avoidance
MoveIt is the industry standard open source toolkit for motion planning. It supports collision checking, IK solvers, environment maps, manipulation pipelines, and interfaces with nearly all common industrial robots.

License: BSD

7. OMPL (Open Motion Planning Library)

Best for: Advanced planning algorithms and integrator level control
OMPL is a planning library that powers MoveIt but can also be used standalone. It includes RRT, RRT*, PRM, KPIECE and many other planners. Ideal for custom automation logic and offline programming workflows.

License: BSD

8. OpenRAVE

Best for: Precise manipulation planning and grasping sequences
OpenRAVE is a robotics framework built specifically for industrial manipulation. Good for grasp planning, pick and place, and constrained motion sequences. Although older, it remains useful for algorithmic planning tasks.

License: LGPL

9. MoveIt Task Constructor

Best for: Multi step robotic tasks
This extension adds task level reasoning on top of MoveIt. Useful for validating if a robot can complete an entire sequence, such as pick orient retract place, or assembly operations.

License: BSD

10. Isaac Sim Free Tier

Best for: High fidelity, graphics heavy robotic digital twins
NVIDIA Isaac Sim is not open source, but its free tier is extremely powerful. It enables photorealistic robotics simulation, AI training, vision system testing, and advanced path planning validation.

License: Free tier, proprietary

Free Robotics Simulation & Path Planning Tools Comparison Table

Final Thoughts

Free and open source robotics tools have matured to the point where engineers can build serious automation simulations without enterprise licenses. Gazebo, Webots, and CoppeliaSim cover most robotic cell scenarios. MoveIt and OMPL handle motion planning at a level competitive with premium software. MORSE and Gazebo support AMR and AGV behavior. PyBullet provides a fast sandbox. Isaac Sim adds a high fidelity layer when visuals or AI training matter.

For small integrators, machine shops, and automation teams working with tight budgets, this ecosystem of tools removes the barrier to experimentation. Simulation and path planning no longer require million dollar software stacks. The only requirement now is engineering curiosity and time to wire the tools together.

About MDCplus

Our key features are real-time machine monitoring for swift issue resolution, power consumption tracking to promote sustainability, computerized maintenance management to reduce downtime, and vibration diagnostics for predictive maintenance. MDCplus's solutions are tailored for diverse industries, including aerospace, automotive, precision machining, and heavy industry. By delivering actionable insights and fostering seamless integration, we empower manufacturers to boost Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), reduce operational costs, and achieve sustainable growth along with future planning.