Revision history [back]

You can use gmapping and move_base together to build a map and navigate autonomously in an unknown environment, but because you can't start gmapping with a partial map, this means that your map will always start empty (probably not what you want). gmapping also requires constantly increasing memory over the life of the map, so it isn't well suited for long-term use.

I don't have any direct experience with it, but the hector_slam package provides another SLAM implementation that may do what you're looking for.