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The odom->base_link transform is responsible for keeping track of the motion of the robot based on its odometry sensors. This is the primary way that other systems can find the location of the robot in the world. You could use an EKF, like robot_localization, to produce this odometry. Small sidenote: I find this package to be one of the greatest unsung heroes in the ROS/ROS2 ecosystem. It is incredibly flexible, well documented, and does a fantastic job in producing ego motion. It also produces the odom->base_link transform that you seek.