Next Key Point (NKP)

Gold definitionUpdated Apr 2, 2026

Definition

Next Key Point (NKP) is a high-level semantic point used in trajectory modeling to capture navigational intent, conditioning future predictions. It decomposes long-horizon forecasting into global decision-making and local motion, enhancing directional consistency and preventing implausible trajectories.

At a glance

Executive summary

Next Key Point (NKP) is a method that improves long-term prediction of movements, like ship trajectories, by first figuring out a high-level goal or 'key point' and then predicting the path to it. This helps keep the predictions realistic and consistent over long periods, outperforming existing methods, especially for complex movements.

TL;DR

Next Key Point (NKP) helps predict long-term movements accurately by using a high-level goal to guide the prediction, preventing unrealistic paths.

Key points

Conditions long-horizon sequence prediction on high-level semantic points representing navigational intent.
Solves the problem of compounded uncertainty and lack of global directional consistency in long-term trajectory forecasting.
Used by researchers and ML engineers in maritime navigation, autonomous vessel control, and general long-term planning.
Outperforms state-of-the-art approaches, particularly for long travel durations and directional accuracy, by decomposing the prediction task.
Represents a trend towards incorporating high-level semantic understanding to enhance robustness and plausibility in sequential prediction models.

Use cases

Autonomous vessel navigation: Guiding self-driving ships to maintain consistent routes over long distances.
Maritime traffic management: Predicting ship movements to prevent collisions and optimize port operations.
Robotics and drone path planning: Enabling long-horizon, semantically consistent path planning for autonomous robots.
Logistics and supply chain optimization: Forecasting vehicle movements for efficient delivery scheduling.
Air traffic control: Predicting aircraft trajectories to manage airspace and prevent congestion.

Also known as

Semantic Key Point, High-level Key Point