System and method for maneuvering a mobile drive unit

摘要

A method of rotating an inventory holder (30) includes moving an inventory holder towards a rotation area (892) along a straight segment (917a) of a path (16) with a first face (920a) of the inventory holder (30) facing a first direction. The rotation area (892) includes a portion of a workspace (870) designated for rotation of inventory holders (30). The method further includes moving the inventory holder (30) into the rotation area (892) along a first arced segment (918a) with an orientation of the first face (920a) perpendicular to the first arced segment (918a). The method additionally includes executing a rotation maneuver within the rotation area (892) and moving the inventory holder (30) out of the rotation area (892) along a second arced segment (918b) with a second face (920b) facing the first direction.