A navigation mesh, or navmesh, is an abstract data structure used in artificial intelligence applications to aid agents in pathfinding through complicated spaces.
In other words, a character in a game could freely walk around within these areas unobstructed by trees, lava, or other barriers that are part of the environment.
[3] The polygons of various sizes and shapes in navigation meshes can represent arbitrary environments with greater accuracy than regular grids can.
[6] In robotics, using linked convex polygons in this manner has been called "meadow mapping",[1] coined in a 1986 technical report by Ronald C.
van Waveren described a similar structure with convex and connected 3D polygons, dubbed the "Area Awareness System", used for bots in Quake III Arena.