Acceleration controls for a mobile drive unit

A mobile drive unit having a linear acceleration value and an angular acceleration value, the mobile drive unit comprising:

• a chassis assembly including a pair of drive wheel assemblies, each drive wheel assembly comprising a motor;
• a front caster and a rear caster each connected to the chassis assembly;
• a support structure mounted on the chassis assembly;
• a payload housing mounted on the support structure, the payload housing comprising a top surface;
• a controller communicatively coupled to the pair of drive wheel assemblies;
• and
• memory storing instructions that cause the controller to effectuate operations, the operations comprising:
• determining a mass of a payload located on the top surface;
• defining a permissible maximum linear acceleration based on the linear acceleration value and the mass of the payload;
• determining a prior directional movement of the mobile drive unit, the prior directional movement indicative of a direction of the front caster and the rear caster;
• determining a next directional movement of the mobile drive unit, the next directional movement indicative of a travel direction;
• defining a permissible maximum angular acceleration and a maneuver angle based on the prior directional movement and the next directional movement, wherein determination of the maneuver angle is based at least in part on the front caster and the rear caster aligned with the travel direction after completion of the maneuver angle;
• if the next directional movement comprises a turn, causing the mobile drive unit to operate at the permissible maximum angular acceleration for at least the maneuver angle;
• and
• if the next direction movement comprises a linear movement, causing the mobile drive unit to operate under the permissible maximum linear acceleration.