A linear drive system comprising: a plurality of movers, wherein each of the plurality of movers includes at least one position magnet mounted to the mover for providing a location of the respective mover; a track including a plurality of track segments defining a path along which each of the plurality of movers travels, wherein each of the plurality of track segments includes: (a) a plurality of drive coils spaced along the track segment; and (b) a segment controller configured to operate the plurality of drive coils, wherein operating a drive coil of the plurality of drive coils proximal to a mover of the plurality of movers causes the respective mover to travel along a portion of the track segment; and a central controller in communication with the segment controllers; and wherein motion of a mover of the plurality of movers is determined according to a motion profile defined by the central controller or a segment controller of any track segment of the plurality of track segments in which the mover is traveling, characterized in that the plurality of movers is arranged in a group, wherein one mover of the plurality of movers is a reference mover and any other mover of the plurality of movers is a grouped mover, wherein motion of the reference mover is determined according to a motion profile defined by the central controller or the segment controller of any track segment in which the reference mover is traveling, and wherein motion of any grouped mover of the plurality of movers is determined according to an offset with respect to the reference mover, wherein motion of any grouped mover of the plurality of movers is determined by a segment controller of any track segment in which the grouped mover of the plurality of movers is traveling, wherein each segment controller is configured to define a motion profile for any grouped mover of the plurality of movers to cause the grouped mover to maintain a predetermined separation distance from the reference mover. a plurality of movers, wherein each of the plurality of movers includes at least one position magnet mounted to the mover for providing a location of the respective mover; a track including a plurality of track segments defining a path along which each of the plurality of movers travels, wherein each of the plurality of track segments includes: (a) a plurality of drive coils spaced along the track segment; and (b) a segment controller configured to operate the plurality of drive coils, wherein operating a drive coil of the plurality of drive coils proximal to a mover of the plurality of movers causes the respective mover to travel along a portion of the track segment; and (a) a plurality of drive coils spaced along the track segment; and (b) a segment controller configured to operate the plurality of drive coils, wherein operating a drive coil of the plurality of drive coils proximal to a mover of the plurality of movers causes the respective mover to travel along a portion of the track segment; and a central controller in communication with the segment controllers; and wherein motion of a mover of the plurality of movers is determined according to a motion profile defined by the central controller or a segment controller of any track segment of the plurality of track segments in which the mover is traveling, characterized in that the plurality of movers is arranged in a group, wherein one mover of the plurality of movers is a reference mover and any other mover of the plurality of movers is a grouped mover, wherein motion of the reference mover is determined according to a motion profile defined by the central controller or the segment controller of any track segment in which the reference mover is traveling, and wherein motion of any grouped mover of the plurality of movers is determined according to an offset with respect to the reference mover, wherein motion of any grouped mover of the plurality of movers is determined by a segment controller of any track segment in which the grouped mover of the plurality of movers is traveling, wherein each segment controller is configured to define a motion profile for any grouped mover of the plurality of movers to cause the grouped mover to maintain a predetermined separation distance from the reference mover.