Configuring and / or checking a boundary for a robot or part of a robot

Abstract

A method for configuring and / or verifying a boundary for a robot (10) or part of the robot comprises the step: providing (S10) geometry data of a workspace identified as freely accessible to the robot or part of the robot, or of a complementary protective space. In one embodiment, the method comprises the step: configuring (S30) a boundary for the robot or part of the robot based on user input, wherein, during this configuration, the boundary, together with the workspace or protective space based on the user input and the provided geometry data, is visualized using a user interface. Additionally or alternatively, the method comprises the steps: planning (S40) a movement of the robot to verify a boundary or part of the robot.the configured boundary for the robot or part of the robot based on the provided geometry data; controlling (S50) the robot's drives to execute the planned movement; and detecting a trigger of a safety monitor as a result of the movement being carried out. The invention also relates to a system or computer program (product).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for configuring and / or checking a boundary for a robot or part of the robot, and to a computer program or computer program product for carrying out the method.

[0002] According to internal practice, robot boundaries in the form of virtual walls can be configured via user input. Such configured boundaries are then tested by moving the robot towards them and recording whether this triggers the designated safety monitoring system.

[0003] DE 11 2021 007 790 T5 relates to a simulation device that is equipped with: a unit for setting the range, which sets a permissible range of motion for a robot; an estimation unit that derives the operation of the robot after a stop control is performed on the robot in response to the robot operating outside the permissible range of motion; and a visualization unit that, based on the derived operation of the robot, allows the part of the robot outside the permissible range of motion to be visualized.

[0004] According to DE 11 2021 005 346 T5, an augmented reality display device comprises: a camera; a display unit; and a display control unit that displays on the display unit an image of a robot captured by the camera and an augmented reality image of the robot's work area.

[0005] DE 11 2019 003 204 T5 relates to an augmented reality system for visualizing and modifying robot workspaces, wherein the system includes an AR device, such as a headset, which is connected to a robot control unit, the AR device contains software for AR display and modification of the workspaces, with the robot's coordinate frame being registered via detection of a visual marker, displaying workspaces that are aligned with real-world images of the robot and existing recording devices, wherein the display is updated as the user moves around the robot's processing cell, with control points being displayed on the virtual workspaces that allow the user to reshape the workspaces, wherein the robot can be operated during the AR session by executing the programmed movement of the robot and evaluating the workspaces.where area violations are highlighted in the AR display, and completed work areas are uploaded to the robot control unit when an area definition is complete.

[0006] DE 10 2007 037 078 B4 relates to a method for maintaining the working space boundaries of a robot's work tool during the robot's movement within a work space, comprising the following steps: - starting from a first instantaneous pose of the work tool, determining a second pose of the work tool leading by a time interval from a robot movement sequence; - determining at least one stopping movement of the work tool starting from a braking initiation from the second pose; - defining a boundary zone for the work space extending inwards from the work space boundary; - checking whether the work tool's spatial contour penetrates the boundary zone for the stopping movement of the work tool; - causing the robot to stop when at least one point of the work tool's spatial contour penetrates the boundary zone.

[0007] DE 10 2015 011 830 C5 relates to a robot system comprising: a display section configured to display a robot model and a peripheral device model surrounding the robot; an insertion section configured to insert a motion monitoring area model of the robot onto the display section; a positioning section configured to move the motion monitoring area model inserted by the insertion section by means of a drag operation to determine the position of the motion monitoring area model; and a setting section configured to convert an area surrounded by the motion monitoring area model, which in turn is positioned in the display section by the positioning section, into coordinate values ​​that can be recognized by the robot.to set the motion monitoring area, wherein the positioning section is configured to expand or contract the motion monitoring area model by a drag operation in at least two directions along the X, Y, and Z directions in the display section, and wherein the motion monitoring area model inserted by the insertion section comprises a spherical model, a spherical model, and a capsule-like model, which are displayed in the display section, and wherein the positioning section is configured to select and position one of the spherical model, the spherical model, and the capsule-like model as a motion monitoring area model.

[0008] According to US 8,731,276 B2, a device for representing a motion space comprises: a workspace generation unit configured to generate a three-dimensional area in which the moving robot operates; an image acquisition unit configured to capture a real image; a position and attitude detection unit configured to detect an image acquisition position and direction; and an overlay unit configured to selectively overlay the real image captured by the image acquisition unit with either an image of a segment approximation model of the moving robot as viewed from the image acquisition position in the image acquisition direction, or an image of the three-dimensional area as viewed from the image acquisition position in the image acquisition direction, depending on the difficulty of detecting each image.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to improve the configuration and / or testing of a boundary for a robot.

[0010] This problem is solved by a method with the features of claim 1. Claims 9 and 10 protect a system, computer program, or computer program product for carrying out a method described herein. The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for configuring and / or checking a boundary for a robot or part of the robot comprises the step: - Providing geometric data of a space which, preferably previously, has been identified as a space freely accessible to the robot or part of the robot, in a particular design, and is here referred to as a workspace, or of a complementary protective space.

[0012] In one embodiment, the boundary is a virtual or software-implemented boundary and / or includes one or more boundaries, in particular a virtual space in which the robot or part of the robot may be located or move, and / or a virtual space in which the robot or part of the robot may not be located or enter.

[0013] A space within the meaning of the present invention can be composed of several separately (defined) subspaces. For example, a space in which the robot or part of the robot is permitted to be located or move can be bounded by a defined outer boundary (beyond which the robot or part of the robot may not move) and one or more defined inner boundaries within the space enclosed by this outer boundary, in particular subspaces in which the robot or part of the robot may not be located or into which it may not penetrate. Accordingly, the boundary can have the outer boundary and the inner boundaries. In one embodiment, the boundary comprises one or more walls, in particular virtual and / or flat or curved walls, which the robot or part of the robot should not or may not penetrate.

[0014] A space or a boundary or limit within the meaning of the present invention can in particular be a Cartesian space or a boundary or limit in Cartesian space or a configuration or joint coordinate space or a boundary or limit in the configuration or joint coordinate space or be defined or specified as a Cartesian space or configuration or joint coordinate space or in a Cartesian space or a configuration or joint coordinate space.

[0015] A space or a boundary or limit within the meaning of the present invention may in particular refer to one or more different robot-fixed references, for example robot-fixed points, virtual or real bodies, coordinate systems or the like, and / or to the entire kinematic chain and / or contour of the robot or a part of the robot, in particular a part of its kinematic chain and / or contour, one or more individual links, for example the end effector, elbow or the like, in particular a, optionally simplified, envelope contour of the chain or contour or part of the robot or of the individual link(s).A part of the robot according to the present invention can have one or more individual elements, optionally connected by joints, and / or be part of its kinematic chain and / or contour, and / or have two or more individual parts, optionally spaced apart from each other.

[0016] Accordingly, a space deemed freely accessible can be, in particular, a space that is freely accessible to the entire kinematic chain and / or contour of the robot, or to a part of the robot, especially one or more individual components, such as the end effector. Similarly, a boundary or limit for a robot can be, in particular, a boundary or limit for the entire kinematic chain and / or contour of the robot, or to a part of the robot, especially one or more individual components, such as the end effector.

[0017] A space or a boundary or limit within the meaning of the present invention can in particular be a one-, two-, three- or more-dimensional space or boundary or limit, in particular a one-dimensional space, for example a Cartesian direction or a boundary or limit in a Cartesian direction, or a three-dimensional space or boundary or limit, for example (for) a position in Cartesian space, or a six- or more-dimensional space or boundary or limit that specifies or limits a position and orientation in Cartesian space or the position of the joints or (motion) axes of a six-axis robot.

[0018] If the present text refers to a limitation for the robot or a space accessible to the robot, this can refer in one version to the entire robot or a part thereof, and in a further development to one or more parts of the robot.

[0019] In one embodiment, the robot has at least one robot arm and / or a fixed or mobile base; in a further development, it has a chassis. It can be, in particular, a stationary robot, in a further development, a robotic cell, a walking robot, an underwater robot, or a drone. In one embodiment, the robot, or in a further development, the robot arm, has at least three, in particular at least six, and in one embodiment at least seven, (motion) axes or joints that are movable or adjustable by, preferably electromagnetic, drives of the robot.

[0020] For such limitations or robots, the present invention is particularly advantageous, especially due to the kinematics and boundary or operating conditions.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises the following step: - Configuring a boundary for the robot or part of the robot based on user input (entered by a user), where this limitation - during this configuration and - together with the workspace or shelter and - based on - user input and - the provided geometry data of the work or protective space - is visualized using, preferably on, a user interface, preferably graphically visualized, in an implementation by corresponding, in particular virtual, interfaces or the like.

[0022] By jointly visualizing the workspace (defined as freely accessible to the robot or part of the robot) and its complementary protective area, together with the boundary configured based on user input during this configuration process, the configuration can be carried out advantageously, and in particular more quickly and / or reliably, in a single execution. For example, a user can quickly and / or reliably recognize in one execution that a boundary they configured is unintentionally located within the protective area, or can deliberately place a boundary within the workspace or at its outer edge.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises, in addition to or as an alternative to the configuration described herein, the following steps: - Planning a robot movement to check a boundary for the robot or part of the robot, preferably configured as described here, based on the provided geometry data, preferably using automated path planning, in a version with speed profile, and / or such that the robot or part of the robot is located within the workspace or remains within it, or avoids the protective area. and / or such that the robot or part of the robot reaches, or possibly exceeds, the configured boundary; - Controlling the robot's drives to perform the planned movement; and - Detecting the triggering of a safety monitoring system as a result of the movement, in particular whether, as a result of the robot moving into a robot pose during the planned movement, a predefined safety monitoring system is triggered, and correctly so. Accordingly, the safety monitoring system is configured to be triggered when the robot or part of the robot reaches or exceeds the (to be checked) boundary.

[0024] By planning the robot's movement to check the configured boundary based on the provided geometry data of the workspace or complementary protective space identified as a freely accessible space for the robot or part of the robot, the probability of a collision of the robot or part of the robot during the check can be reduced in one implementation, and the configured boundary can thus be checked advantageously, in particular faster and / or more safely.

[0025] In one embodiment, providing the geometry data includes adjusting the robot to different robot positions, wherein the workspace is expanded based on these robot positions, preferably by these robot positions and / or based on, in particular, the poses of the part of the robot in these robot positions, or the protective space is reduced based on these robot positions, preferably by these robot positions and / or based on, in particular, the poses of the part of the robot in these robot positions. In other words, when adjusting to the different robot positions, the robot or part of the robot successively clears a space that forms the workspace or a part of the workspace, or is no longer part of the protective space.

[0026] This allows the work or protective space to be provided in a particularly reliable and / or simple design.

[0027] Additionally or alternatively, providing the geometry data in one version includes sensor-based, and in a further development camera-based, acquisition of the robot's environment, whereby the work or protection space is provided in one further development based on an evaluation of the sensor data, in particular camera images, and in another version based on automatic detection of interfaces based on the sensor data, in particular (image evaluation of the) camera images.

[0028] This allows the work or protective space to be provided at least partially without (moving the) robot(s) and / or (even) faster and / or easier in one version.

[0029] Providing geometry data can additionally or alternatively include retrieving or accessing stored geometry data, in particular.

[0030] In one embodiment, the workspace or safety zone is discretized, preferably into grid or volume elements such as voxels, octrees, or the like. This allows the workspace or safety zone to be provided particularly advantageously, especially more easily and / or reliably, and / or used for planning the robot's movement to check the configured boundary.

[0031] In one embodiment, the robot is adjusted or manually guided into one or more of the various robot positions based on a load applied to it manually (by a user), preferably under appropriate, in particular compliant, control. This allows the work or safety space to be provided particularly advantageously, especially more simply and / or reliably, in one embodiment.

[0032] Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment, the robot is adjusted to one or more of the various robot positions based on a user command input via an input interface, preferably via an operating device, in particular a handheld operating device that is preferably located at a distance from the robot. This allows the work or safety area to be provided particularly advantageously, and especially more quickly, in one embodiment.

[0033] Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment, the robot is adjusted to one or more of the various robot positions based on automated path planning, preferably systematic path planning, for scanning a space, preferably without collisions. This allows the work or safety area to be provided particularly advantageously, especially more thoroughly or comprehensively, in one embodiment.

[0034] In one embodiment, during or as a result of configuring the robot's boundaries, the robot is repositioned into additional robot positions, with the workspace or safety zone being updated based on these additional positions. Preferably, these additional robot positions are determined by automatic path planning based on user input during configuration, particularly by rejecting or modifying a generated suggestion and / or specifying a spatial area to be traversed or evaluated. This allows, advantageously, areas that have not yet been evaluated to be evaluated as needed and / or initiated by the configuration process and / or without collisions, thus increasing the workspace or decreasing the safety zone as needed and / or initiated by the configuration process.For example, as explained in more detail below, a user can reject a suggested boundary based on the previously provided workspace. This indicates that the previously provided workspace is too small, or that, in the user's opinion, an area blocked by the suggested boundary is accessible to the robot or part of the robot. Therefore, the workspace is expanded accordingly by updating the workspace or safety zone based on additional robot positions encountered during configuration, particularly those triggered by the rejection. Similarly, in other cases, the user may also determine during configuration based on the visualization that the provided workspace or safety zone is insufficient.The protective space may not yet adequately represent the actually freely accessible space, and therefore a room area to be evaluated is specified, which is then evaluated by moving the robot into corresponding additional robot positions based on this room area specified as being to be evaluated, and the work or protective space is updated accordingly.

[0035] In one version, the procedure comprises the following steps: - Generating a proposal for the boundary to be configured based on the provided geometry data; and - Visualizing this proposal using the user interface to configure the boundary for the robot or part of the robot, where configuration includes accepting, modifying, or rejecting the proposal based on a user's evaluation input.

[0036] This allows configuration to be carried out advantageously in a single execution, in particular faster and / or more securely.

[0037] In a training course, the proposal is generated using data processing based at least partially on machine learning and / or pattern recognition and / or, preferably by a user and / or based on a numerical data model, parameters of a robot topology and / or the environment. For example, a worktable, column, shelf, or the like can be recognized based on the provided geometry data of the determined workspace or safety area and / or using data processing based at least partially on machine learning, if the corresponding area has been determined to be inaccessible to the robot or part of the robot, and a corresponding boundary of the workspace or safety area has been defined.The protected area, preferably based on a numerical data model for such environmental obstacles using data processing at least partially based on machine learning, may be proposed as (part of) the boundary. In general, a proposal for the boundary to be configured may include a proposal for one or more boundaries of the boundary, in particular...

[0038] In one implementation, the planned movement is visualized using the user interface before execution. This allows for improvements in the safety and / or effectiveness of the movement or inspection.

[0039] In one implementation, when the planned movement is executed, the completed movement and / or the detection of a safety monitoring trigger resulting from the movement is saved. Based on this, and in a further development process based on a visualization of the planned and / or executed movement and / or also based on user input, a test report is generated, preferably with the user signing the test report. In another implementation, the completed movement and / or the detection of a safety monitoring trigger is saved along with the test report. This allows the verification of the configured limit to be advantageously documented in a single implementation.

[0040] In one implementation, when visualizing the boundary during configuration, a virtual representation of the robot or part of the robot and / or at least a virtual representation of an object, in particular an obstacle, in the robot's environment (together with the boundary and the workspace or protective space) is additionally visualized using the user interface, based on user input and the provided geometry data.

[0041] In one implementation, a user input allows switching between visualizing the boundary during configuration along with the workspace and visualizing the boundary during configuration along with the safety zone. This improves the configuration process, making it simpler and / or more reliable.

[0042] In one embodiment, the user interface may include a handheld device, in particular an operating handheld device, a smartphone or the like, and / or a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) interface, in particular VR or AR glasses or the like. This may, in one embodiment, improve configuration, in particular making it simpler and / or more reliable.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for configuring and / or checking a boundary for a robot or part of the robot, in particular hardware and / or software, especially programming technology, is set up for carrying out a method described herein and / or has means for providing geometry data of a workspace determined as a space freely accessible to the robot or part of the robot or of a protective space complementary thereto.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises means for configuring a boundary for the robot or part of the robot based on user input, wherein this boundary, together with the workspace or safety space, is visualized using a user interface during this configuration based on the user input and the provided geometry data.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the system - Means of planning a robot movement to check a or the configured boundary for the robot or part of the robot based on the provided geometry data; - Means for controlling the robot's drives to carry out the planned movement; and - Means for detecting a triggering of a security monitoring system as a result of the execution of the movement. Detecting a triggering of a security monitoring system can, in particular, include detecting a signal from the security monitoring system.

[0046] In one version, the system or its means exhibit: - Means for adjusting the robot to different robot positions and means for extending the workspace based on these robot positions or for reducing the safety zone based on these robot positions; and / or - Means for sensor-based detection of the robot's environment; and / or - Means of adjusting the robot based on a load manually applied to it and / or on a user command input via an input interface and / or on automated path planning into at least one of the various robot positions; and / or - Means for adjusting the robot during, in particular as a result of, configuring the boundary into additional robot positions, and means for updating the workspace or the protective area based on these additional robot positions; and / or - Means of generating a proposal for the boundary to be configured based on the provided geometry data and means of visualizing this proposal using the user interface for configuring the boundary for the robot or part of the robot, wherein the configuration includes accepting, modifying, or rejecting the proposal based on an evaluation input from a user, wherein the proposal is generated in one execution by means of data processing based at least partially on machine learning and / or pattern recognition and / or predefined parameters of a topology of the robot and / or the environment; and / or - Means of visualizing the planned movement before execution using the user interface; and / or - Means for recording, during the execution of the planned movement, the movement and / or a triggering of the safety monitoring as a result of the execution of the movement, and means for generating, based thereon, in particular a visualization of the planned and / or executed movement and / or also based on a user's test input, a test log; - Means for additional visualization when visualizing the boundary during configuration together with the workspace or safety area based on user input and the provided geometry data using the user interface, a virtual representation of the robot or part of the robot and / or at least a virtual representation of an object in the robot's environment; and / or - Means of switching, as a result of a user's switching input, between visualizing the boundary during configuration together with the workspace and visualizing the boundary during configuration together with the protection space.

[0047] A device according to the present invention can be configured as hardware and / or software, in particular comprising at least one processing unit, preferably a microprocessor unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), or the like, preferably connected to a storage and / or bus system via data or signals, and / or comprising one or more programs or program modules. The processing unit can be configured to execute instructions implemented as a program stored in a storage system, to acquire input signals from a data bus, and / or to output signals to a data bus. A storage system can comprise one or more, in particular different, storage media, in particular optical, magnetic, solid-state, and / or other non-volatile media. The program can be configured to embody the methods described herein.is capable of executing, so that the processing unit can perform the steps of such procedures and thus, in particular, configure and / or check a boundary for a robot or part of the robot, or assist a user in doing so. A computer program product may, in one version, include a storage medium, in particular a computer-readable and / or non-volatile medium, for storing a program or instructions, or with a program or instructions stored thereon. In one version, the execution of this program or these instructions by a system or a controller, in particular a computer or an arrangement of several computers, causes the system or the controller, in particular the computer(s), to execute a procedure described herein or one or more of its steps, or the program or instructions are configured for this purpose.

[0048] In one embodiment, one or more, in particular all, steps of the procedure are fully or partially computer-implemented, or one or more, in particular all, steps of the procedure are fully or partially automated, in particular by the system or its means.

[0049] In one embodiment, the system includes the robot. In one embodiment, the boundary for the robot or part of the robot is configured such that, in a further development, a proposal for the boundary to be configured is generated based on the provided geometry data such that the boundary lies at least partially, preferably entirely, within the workspace or at least partially, preferably entirely, outside the protective area, in one embodiment by a predetermined minimum distance.

[0050] Further advantages and features will become apparent from the dependent claims and the exemplary embodiments. These are shown, in part schematically: Fig. 1: a system for configuring and / or checking a boundary for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 2: a method for configuring and / or checking a boundary for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Fig. Figure 1 shows a system for configuring and / or checking a limit for a robot 10 with a controller 20 having an input / output interface 21 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] To configure the robot, the workspace freely accessible to the robot or a part of the robot ("Explored Space") is first explored based on a user moving the robot 10 and subsequently evaluating the joint angle positions stored during this process. The workspace is then successively expanded by the volume traversed by the robot or part of the robot during the movement ("Swept Volume"), or conversely, a corresponding protective space is reduced accordingly.

[0053] Alternatively or additionally, the workspace freely accessible to the robot or part of the robot, or the complementary protective space, can also be determined using sensors, for example with the help of one or more cameras 22.

[0054] An example of such a workspace is in Fig. 1 indicated by empty voxels, a shelter indicated by cross-hatched voxels.

[0055] Following the step S10 described above (see Fig. 2) In which the workspace or explored space is determined and approximated in one execution, the workspace or explored space, or the complementary safety space, is visually displayed to the user using the input / output interface 21, which accordingly forms or has a user interface, whereby the user can switch between the two views "workspace" and "safe space". The display takes place, for example, on a computer screen, on a smartpad or touchpad, or on a separate device such as a smartphone, or on augmented reality glasses (AR glasses) 23. Optionally, further virtual representations of known obstacles, such as CAD data or the like, are also visualized.

[0056] In step S30, the user can manually configure the desired virtual boundary. Virtual walls or spaces, for example in the form of cuboids, prisms, or the like, are displayed together with the workspace or explored space, or the complementary protective space.

[0057] This combination of both displays supports spatial understanding in inexperienced users and helps avoid errors when configuring and verifying virtual boundaries. For example, it makes it easier to assess the correctness of parameters related to translations and orientations of virtual spaces. A potential misposition of a virtual space used to limit robot movement becomes apparent to the user through the overlay or non-overlay of the two displays.

[0058] Partial overlap with the workspace or Explored Space occurs very quickly and can be corrected accordingly.

[0059] Optionally, a suggestion for configuring the virtual boundaries is automatically generated before and / or during the configuration process.

[0060] For example, in step S20, an algorithm automatically recognizes potential obstacle geometries in the robot's environment based on the workspace or explored space. If, for instance, straight surfaces with right-angled indentations or curves with a regular radius are clearly identifiable, these can be recognized as a table, cabinet, wall, (cylindrical) column, or the like.

[0061] In addition to such geometric information, topological and semantic information can also be automatically incorporated. For example, an artificial intelligence, such as one based on experience, learned knowledge, an artificial neural network, or similar technology, can recognize a manual workspace for a human worker and then automatically suggest to the user that a boundary or a restricted area be defined for the robot or part of the robot at that location, determining the corresponding parameters for the virtual boundary. The automatically generated suggestion can be displayed visually along with the workspace or explored space, particularly on a screen, smartpad / touchpad, smartphone, AR glasses, or similar device.

[0062] In step S30, the user can then accept, modify, or reject the automatically generated suggestion.

[0063] Again, the following are exemplary: Fig. 1. Boundaries of a boundary are indicated by bold dashed lines.

[0064] The user can reject the automatically generated suggestion regarding a suspected obstacle, for example, because it is actually a freely accessible space rather than an obstacle. This indicates that the geometry data of the workspace or explored space was incomplete. Optionally, a corresponding trajectory can then be automatically planned and executed to expand the initially provided workspace or explored space in this area with additional (geometry) data. The visualization of the workspace or explored space is then updated accordingly.

[0065] Collision-free path planning can advantageously ensure that the automatically generated robot movements do not leave the already determined explored space or the additional space specified or confirmed by the user as freely accessible. This guarantees that the automatically generated robot movements do not cause collisions.

[0066] The data-driven update of Explored Space ensures that users don't mistakenly classify spaces with obstacles as "freely accessible." This feature can therefore be understood as an easy-to-use double-check to avoid errors.

[0067] The virtual boundary is then checked using the workspace or explored space. Within the workspace or explored space, the robot or part of the robot can move without collisions. Therefore, preferably within the framework of offline robot programming, collision-free robot movements can be planned based on the explored space and implemented in or by corresponding robot programs, which serve to automatically check the previously configured virtual boundaries. Preferably, the robot movements can be monitored by the user or automatically. During this process, the robot trajectory is recorded and stored over time, preferably both Cartesian and in axis space, or depending on the points of interest of the safety spaces, for example, TCP, third axis, elbow, or the like, as well as the time of the safety trigger or activation of the safety monitoring.This data can optionally be loaded and visualized later in a virtual 2D or 3D animation and checked by the user or automatically, with a corresponding test report being accepted by the user, preferably signed.

[0068] Accordingly, in step S40, a movement of the robot to check the configured limit for the robot or part of the robot is planned based on the provided geometry data, and in step S50, drives 11 of the robot are controlled to carry out the planned movement, and a triggering of a safety monitoring system as a result of this movement is recorded, whereby during this execution of the planned movement, the movement and / or the recording of a triggering of the safety monitoring system as a result of the execution of the movement is saved, whereby based on this, in particular a visualization of the planned and / or executed movement and / or also based on a test input from a user, a test report can be generated (step S60).

[0069] The invention can assist a user in configuring the virtual boundary, but does not necessarily relieve them of this task entirely. In one embodiment, the user can or must still manually test the configuration of the virtual boundary, as before.

[0070] In the present disclosure, "has an X" does not generally imply an exhaustive list, but is a shorthand for "has at least one X" and also includes "has two or more X" as well as "has Y in addition to X". Although exemplary embodiments were explained in the preceding description, it should be noted that a multitude of variations are possible. Furthermore, it should be noted that the exemplary embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection, applications, or structure in any way. Reference symbol list 10 robots 11 Drive 20 Control 21 Input / Output Interface 22 Camera 23 AR glasses

Claims

[1] A method for configuring and / or testing a limitation for a robot (10) or a part of the robot, comprising the step: - Providing (S10) geometric data of a working space determined as a space freely accessible to the robot or part of the robot or of a protective space complementary thereto; the method comprising the step: - Configuring (S30) a boundary for the robot or part of the robot based on a user input, wherein this boundary is visualized during this configuration together with the workspace or protection space based on the user input and the provided geometry data using a user interface (21; 23); and / or comprises the steps: - Planning (S40) a movement of the robot to check one or the configured limitation for the robot or part of the robot based on the provided geometry data; - controlling (S50) the robot’s drives to carry out the planned movement; and - Detecting a triggering of a safety monitoring device as a result of the movement being carried out. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the provision of geometry data - adjusting the robot to different robot positions, whereby the working space is extended or the protection space is reduced based on these robot positions; and / or - includes a sensor-based detection of an environment of the robot and / or that - the workspace or the shelter is discretized. [3] Method according to claim 2, characterized by , that - the robot is adjusted to at least one of the different robot positions based on a manually applied load and / or on a command input from a user via an input interface and / or on automated path planning; and / or - during the boundary configuration, the robot is moved to additional robot positions, whereby the workspace or the protection space is updated based on these additional robot positions. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the steps: - generating (S20) a proposal for the boundary to be configured based on the provided geometry data; and - Visualizing this proposal using the user interface to configure the boundary for the robot or part of the robot, wherein configuring comprises accepting or modifying or rejecting the proposal based on an evaluation input from a user. [5] Method according to claim 4, characterized by that the proposal is generated by means of data processing based at least partly on machine learning and / or pattern recognition and / or predetermined parameters of a topology of the robot and / or the environment. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that - the planned movement is visualized before execution using the user interface and / or - when the planned movement is carried out, the movement and / or a detection of a triggering of the safety monitoring as a result of the execution of the movement is stored, and a test report is generated based on this (S60). [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that - when visualising the boundary during configuration, together with the workspace or protection space based on the user input and the provided geometry data, a virtual representation of the robot or part of the robot and / or at least one virtual representation of an object in the environment of the robot is additionally visualised using the user interface; and / or - as a result of a user switching input, switching is carried out between visualizing the boundary during configuration together with the working space and visualizing the boundary during configuration together with the protection space. [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the user interface includes a handheld device and / or a VR or AR interface. [9] System for configuring and / or checking a limitation for a robot (10) or part of the robot, which is arranged to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims. [10] A computer program or computer program product, the computer program or computer program product containing instructions which, when executed by one or more computers or a system according to claim 9, cause the computer or computers or the system to carry out a method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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