Navigation Stack and Concepts

Source: http://wiki.ros.org/navigation/Tutorials/Using%20rviz%20with%20the%20Navigation%20Stack

Section	Description
2D Nav Goal	Topic: move_base_simple/goal Type: geometry_msgs/PoseStamped Description: Allows the user to send a goal to the navigation by setting a desired pose for the robot to achieve.
2D Pose Estimate	Topic: initialpose Type: geometry_msgs/PoseWithCovarianceStamped Description: Allows the user to initialize the localization system used by the navigation stack by setting the pose of the robot in the world.
Static Map	Topic: map Type: nav_msgs/GetMap Type: nav_msgs/OccupancyGrid Description: Displays the static map that is being served by the map_server if one exists.
Particle Cloud	Topic: particlecloud Type: geometry_msgs/PoseArray Description: Displays the particle cloud used by the robot's localization system. The spread of the cloud represents the localization system's uncertainty about the robot's pose. A cloud that is very spread out reflects high uncertainty, while a condensed cloud represents low uncertainty.
Robot Footprint	Topic: local_costmap/robot_footprint Type: geometry_msgs/PolygonStamped Description: Displays the footprint of the robot
Obstacles	Topic: local_costmap/obstacles Type: nav_msgs/GridCells Desctiption: Displays the obstacles that the navigation stack sees in its costmap. For the robot to avoid collision, the robot footprint should never intersect with a cell that contains an obstacle.
Inflated Obstacles	Topic: local_costmap/inflated_obstacles Type: nav_msgs/GridCells Description: Displays obstacles in the navigation stack's costmap inflated by the inscribed radius of the robot. For the robot to avoid collision, the center point of the robot should never overlap with a cell that contains an inflated obstacle.
Unknown Space	Topic: local_costmap/unknown_space Type: nav_msgs/GridCells Description: Displays any unknown space contained in the navigation stack's costmap_2d.
Global Plan	Topic: TrajectoryPlannerROS/global_plan Type: nav_msgs/Path Description: Displays the portion of the global plan that the local planner is currently pursuing.
Local Plan	Topic: TrajectoryPlannerROS/local_plan Type: nav_msgs/Path Description: Displays the trajectory associated with the velocity commands currently being commanded to the base by the local planner.
Planner Plan	Topic: TrajectoryPlannerROS/local_plan Type: nav_msgs/Path Description: Displays the trajectory associated with the velocity commands currently being commanded to the base by the local planner.
Current Goal	Topic: current_goal Type: geometry_msgs/PoseStamped Description: Displays the goal pose that the navigation stack is attempting to achieve.