---
id: mplib
version: "0.2.1"
license: MIT License Copyright (c) 2021 Hao Su's Lab, UCSD Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to… (full text in the JSON record)
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# mplib — A lightweight motion planning library

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 74.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

MPlib is a lightweight Python motion planning library designed for robot manipulation tasks. It decouples from ROS to simplify setup and use, offering core motion planning functionality through a minimal Python interface. The package depends on numpy for numerical computation, toppra for trajectory optimization, and transforms3d for 3D geometric transformations.

The library targets developers and researchers working on robot manipulation who need trajectory planning and collision checking without the overhead of a full ROS installation. It supports Python 3.8 through 3.12 on Linux and provides prebuilt wheels for straightforward installation, though the project has not released updates in over two years, which may limit support for newer Python versions or bug fixes.

Use it for:

- Plan collision-free trajectories for robotic arms in simulation or research prototypes.
- Compute smooth robot manipulation paths without setting up a full ROS environment.
- Integrate motion planning into Python-based robot control scripts using numpy arrays.
- Prototype manipulation algorithms in academic research on robot motion.
- Generate optimized trajectories for multi-joint robot systems in educational projects.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

MPlib provides motion planning algorithms for robot manipulation, decoupled from ROS, with trajectory computation and collision checking built on numpy, toppra, and transforms3d.

Yes, with conditions. Install if you need lightweight, ROS-independent motion planning for robot manipulation on Linux and can accept a dormant codebase. The MIT license and prebuilt wheels lower friction, but the 727-day release gap means no recent bug fixes or Python version updates—verify that version 0.2.1 meets your Python and platform requirements before committing. No known security vulnerabilities.

## Install

pip install mplib
uv add mplib
poetry add mplib

## Installing mplib

Before you install: Medium install friction: prebuilt wheels available for Python 3.8–3.12 on Linux, but the package is dormant (no releases in 727 days), which may affect long-term compatibility and bug fixes.

License in practice: MIT License permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; you must include the license notice in distributions but face no copyleft obligations.

Quickstart:

pip install mplib
import mplib
# Create a planner and compute trajectories using numpy arrays

Requires Ubuntu 20.04+ and Linux x86_64; prebuilt wheels do not support macOS or Windows.

Verify before relying:

- Specific motion planning algorithms implemented (RRT, PRM, etc.) and their performance characteristics.
- Whether the package is actively maintained despite the 727-day gap since last release.
- Integration requirements with robot simulators or hardware beyond the three listed dependencies.

## Package facts

- License: MIT License Copyright (c) 2021 Hao Su's Lab, UCSD Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to… (full text in the JSON record) (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 74.6K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

motion planning library, robot trajectory planning, collision-free path planning, robot manipulation planning, lightweight motion planner, ROS-independent motion planning, trajectory optimization, robotics, trajectory-planning, collision-detection

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