Materials handling vehicle path validation and dynamic path modification

A method of executing path validation logic with respect to a materials handling vehicle comprising a vehicle body, materials handling hardware, one or more wheels, a drive unit, a steering unit, a localization module, a navigation module, and a path validation tool, the drive unit, steering unit, localization module, and navigation module cooperate to direct the materials handling vehicle along a travel path in a warehouse, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of inputs into the path validation tool, the plurality of inputs comprising environmental layout data of the warehouse, a proposed travel path within the warehouse, kinematics of the materials handling vehicle, and a dynamic vehicle boundary of the materials handling vehicle that approximates a physical periphery of the materials handling vehicle and is defined at an offset distance from the physical periphery of the materials handling vehicle;
• determining vehicle pose along the proposed travel path through the path validation tool;
• updating the dynamic vehicle boundary to account for changes in vehicle speed and steering angle through the path validation tool to update the offset distance from the physical periphery of the materials handling vehicle;
• determining whether the dynamic vehicle boundary of the vehicle is likely to intersect obstacles represented in the environmental layout data based on the determined vehicle pose at candidate positions along the proposed travel path through the path validation tool;
• determining a degree of potential impingement at the candidate positions by referring to the dynamic vehicle boundary of the materials handling vehicle and obstacle data represented in the environmental layout data through the path validation tool;
• modifying the proposed travel path to mitigate the degree of potential impingement through the path validation tool;
• and
• navigating the materials handling vehicle along the modified proposed travel path through cooperation of the drive unit, steering unit, localization module, and navigation module.