Control of mobile robots via a global safety map

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (1) for controlling at least one mobile robot (3), wherein the system (1) is adapted to control an operation of at least one mobile robot (3) at least partially based on a global safety map (5) comprising safety-rated information for the mobile robot (3), wherein the global safety map (5) comprises a plurality of map layers (7) comprising different categories of safety-rated information, wherein the plurality of map layers (7) comprises: at least one geometry information map layer (7a) comprising spatial work environment feature information (9) of features in a work environment of the mobile robot (3), at least one non-movable object information map layer (7b) comprising known non-movable object operational information (13) of non-movable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot (3), at least one movable object information map layer (7c) comprising known movable object operational information (17) of known movable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot (3), at least one unknown object map layer (7d) comprising unknown object operational information (21) of unknown objects in the work environment of the mobile robot (3).

Description

[0001] Control of mobile robots via a global safety map

[0002] 1 . FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The invention relates to a system for controlling a mobile robot, a corresponding computer-implemented method, a computer program product and a computer-readable medium.

[0004] 2. BACKGROUND

[0005] In the control of movable or mobile robots, such as mobile manipulators, often strict requirements with respect to safety are to be fulfilled. In particular in mixed environments, in which movable robots and humans simultaneously operate, it is necessary to provide a proper control of the movable robots to prevent accidents. Today, to allow human and robots to share a workspace, safety sensors with preconfigured monitoring zones and corresponding safety configurations are often implemented. However, the safety concepts applied are often stationary and only cover a limited number of participants and potential accidental situations. Accordingly, the traffic and workflows in such mixed environments are often suboptimal.

[0006] Thus, there exists a need for an improved system and method for controlling a mobile robot.

[0007] 3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The object is achieved by the present invention according to the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are provided in the dependent claims, the description, and the accompanying figures.

[0009] The present invention relates to a system for controlling at least one mobile robot.

[0010] The system is adapted to control an operation of at least one mobile robot at least partially based on a global safety map comprising safety-rated information for the mobile robot. The global safety map comprises a plurality of map layers comprising different categories of safety-rated information.

[0011] The plurality of map layers comprises at least one geometry information map layer comprising spatial work environment feature information of features in a work environment of the mobile robot.

[0012] The plurality of map layers further comprises at least one non-movable object information map layer comprising known non-movable object operational information of nonmovable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot.

[0013] The plurality of map layers further comprises at least one movable object information map layer comprising known movable object operational information of known movable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot.

[0014] The plurality of map layers further comprises at least one unknown object map layer comprising unknown object operational information of unknown objects in the work environment of the mobile robot.

[0015] Thus, a system is provided which may allow for flexible location changes of one or more mobile robots considering also dynamic changes in the environment which may allow for an efficient and optimized traffic, in particular in mixed environments. Using various map layers, individual mobile robots may be enabled to avoid hazardous situations between one another and with human operators in a workspace or facility. A mobile robot may accordingly obtain important information from the safety map, e.g. the type of region the mobile robot is currently entering or has entered, and the presence of other objects. This may include for instance a temporary muting of certain safety functions in regions where presence of human is prevented or otherwise known via the global safety map. Each mobile robot may check its own location, may update its information in the global safety map, and may retrieve information about the environment from the global safety map.

[0016] The global safety map to be accessed by the mobile robots can for instance be provided from a remote entity, such as a global safety managing unit, as described further below, which may allow an activation of their safety configurations based upon information obtained from the global safety map. In another embodiment, a mobile robot may have a local global safety map, which may include a local copy of the global safety map, with data extracted from the global safety map. The local global safety map may then be enriched with local safety rated information from the global safety map. The mobile robot may accordingly comprise control means to properly control the motion and / or the task in accordance with the information obtained from the global safety map, such as actuators, motors, brakes etc.

[0017] This particular map infrastructure comprising the at least three, preferably four map layers may also allow e.g. for the implementation of traffic rules to add predictability to the behavior of mobile robots and persons in a mixed, e.g. collaborative, environment. In some embodiments, additional map layers may be added to include information on application- related semantics. This may be, for instance, capabilities of fixed-location production stations serviced by the mobile robots. The location information of a mobile robot obtained by a safety-rated localization may be used as an index to use the information from any of the map layers, thus obtaining particular information regarding any items of interest. The global safety map may be accessible for one or more mobile robots via respective data connection means. “Global” in this context may include that the safety map is not limited to or accessible only at a certain local region, but may, for instance, be generally accessible from any location and / or may comprise respective safety-rated information for all regions covered by the system of the present invention. However, in some embodiments the global safety map may be at least partially only accessible at certain locations and / or may comprise respective safety-rated information only for certain regions of interest.

[0018] A mobile robot may include any type of movable robot including robots which are manually, semi-automatically or fully automatically controlled and driven, such as for instance autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), autonomous mobile vehicles (AMVs), automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) or mobile manipulators (AMMRs). It is noted that the mobile robot may of course also be provided in a stationary manner, e.g. docked at a distinct position. “Mobile” or “movable” robots in this context may include that the robot may assume different positions or locations on the ground. The position of a mobile robot may be accordingly changed. For instance, the mobile robot may move from a starting point to an end point via a predetermined distinct travel path. A movement of the mobile robot may include for instance a movement of the mobile robot along a (potentially predetermined) path between different locations. For instance, the mobile robot may be adapted to move between a first working location and a second working location. The mobile robot may also be autonomous, such that no path is to be predefined, but wherein the mobile robot finds its own way from a given start point to a given end point. The system may include one or a plurality of mobile robots. The system may be particularly adapted to control a network of robots. A global safety map may be understood as a two- or more dimensional representation of a work environment of the one or more mobile robots. The global safety map may accordingly comprise data information about a location or space of one or more objects that are safety relevant for the mobile robot. The safety-rated information of the global safety map may be organized in map layers or data-layers, wherein each map layer may comprise a particular safety-rated information of a certain category. The respective map layers may be accordingly overlaid to obtain a resulting final global safety map including all safety relevant information for the operation of the mobile robot. In general, a layered global safety map may be provided to allow for mobile robot safety control which allows very flexible mobile robot applications with safety-related regions defined, where information about static and dynamic objects are stored in relation to them. In some embodiments a dynamic update of the safety map may be provided as described further below by all participating entities (e.g., mobile robots, local fixed safety sensors, fixed stations, etc.). The global safety map may allow for an indexed lookup into the layered maps using the localization coordinates of mobile robots, of (detected) known objects, and of detected unknown objects. Optionally, in some embodiments, an overlay of additional map layers may be provided holding location- referenced information for example on application semantics, environmental affordances, which may include opportunities or requirements for interaction with the environment, e.g. stations where a mobile robot can "dock" to perform its task, traffic rules etc.

[0019] The geometry information map layer may include a base layer for the global safety map and may accordingly comprise information about the general geometrical or spatial conditions of a work environment of the mobile robot. The geometry information map layer may provide the global “coordinate system” for localization of one or more mobile robots controlled by the system, fixed-location production resources, but also for dynamic objects of known or unknown nature. The geometry information map layer may include features concerning the geometry of the environment and may be used to reference information in additional layers of the global safety map, and may include for instance point clouds, contours, surfaces, volumes, etc. The geometry information map layer may also include features such as information about slopes and gradients of a floor upon which the mobile robot moves. A work environment of the mobile robot may not be construed to the immediate or near environment around the mobile robot, but the work environment may also include regions or zones, which the mobile robot does not access or enter, but which may be nevertheless of relevance for the secure operation of one or more of the mobile robots controlled by the system. A work environment may be for instance a facility or parts thereof in which the mobile robot is located and operates and may also be referred to as a workspace.

[0020] The non-movable object information map layer may comprise known non-movable object operational information of at least one non-movable object. A non-movable object may include for instance a zone or region and may for instance include information about said regions in which the mobile robot may or may not operate. As an example, a non-movable object may include a safety region for a mobile robot, an obstacle, one or more production stations, manufacturing cells which may comprise respective local sensors and have respective local safety concepts, further safety sensors and fixed infrastructure such as walls, shelves etc. The non-movable object information map layer may comprise spatial regions or zones which may be defined with safety-related information. As will be described further below, the non-movable object information map layer may be created at an initialization stage of the global safety map. A safety region may include a “task zone” in the context of “integrated manufacturing systems (ISO 11161)”. The control of certain safety functions may be dynamically updated to consider all relevant action components. For instance, as also described further below, an emergency stop (E-stop) for the safety region may be issued which results in a stop of all active objects within the region such as mobile or stationary robots, and which may prevent other mobile robots entering the safety region. Accordingly, a known non-movable object operational information may not only include the spatial extension of one or more non-movable objects, such as particular zones or pathways, but may also comprise further corresponding safety-rated information, such as the allowance or prohibition of operation, speed limits etc. of such a zone. In case no non-movable object is present, the non-movable object information map layer could also be empty.

[0021] Similarly, the movable object information map layer may comprise known movable object operational information of at least one movable object. The movable object information map layer may for instance include a location, a spatial extension, a velocity and / or an acceleration or deceleration of a determined movable object. The movable object information map layer may comprise known movable or dynamic objects like mobile robots, which may register themselves anytime with safety-rated communication, and may also update the movable object information map layer via a safety-rated communication. They may also be recognized by safety-rated sensors or detectors, which update the movable object information map layer via a safety-rated communication. A movable object may include for instance one or more mobile robots or humans with known positions and movement, but also movable infrastructure such as carts, bins, etc. The mobile robot may accordingly comprise onboard safety sensors and may have a (vehicle-) local safety concept. Known objects may comprise identification means for registration with the system to facilitate for instance a recognition. A known movable object operational information may not only include the spatial extension and movement of one or more movable objects but may also comprise further corresponding safety-rated information, such as a safety rating for instance indicating a potential risk or danger estimation for an operation of the mobile robot. For instance, if a known movable object is moving with a higher speed, it may be indicated being of a higher risk compared to a known object at standstill or moving slowly. In case no movable object is present, the movable object information map layer could also be empty.

[0022] The unknown object map layer may accordingly include all remaining objects of operational relevance that are not recognized or included in one of the other layers. The unknown object map layer may allow identifying one or more unknown movable or stationary objects detected e.g. by safety sensors or detectors which likewise may update the unknown object information map layer of the safety map via the safety-rated communication. Such objects may be determined, for instance by respective sensors or detectors, which may acquire any unknown objects and environmental features. Due to their unknown nature, they may be of particular relevance with respect to safety of an operation of the mobile robot. Unknown objects may be, for instance, movable or non-movable objects, such as humans and other non-instrumented objects with a-priori unknown positions that may be determined by sensing or detecting and that may potentially impact safety of an operation of the mobile robot. A corresponding unknown object operational information may not only include only the location, spatial extension and movement of one or more unknown objects, but may also comprise further corresponding safety-rated information, such as permissions to operate in a certain area, the speed at which the unknown object is moving etc. In case no unknown object is present, the unknown object map layer could also be empty.

[0023] The plurality of map layers may also comprise further map layers such as a layer for task and application semantics and environment affordances to represent the purpose and capabilities, e.g. of participating mobile robots and production stations. Another layer may contain information about traffic rules for traffic lanes and aisles, for reference to mobile robots to plan optimal paths and trajectories in a work environment. Another layer may be a verification and validation check layer which may be used to record a validity of verification and validation of a map structure with respect to operational safety. The global safety map may be grid-based and / or of a hierarchical structure (e.g. octree) and may for instance include information about one or more of at least one docking point, which may define a position for mobile robots to stop safely, at least one doorway or other narrow space to be passed, at least one transfer region, which may be passed with a higher velocity and at least one mobile robot region, which may be the region in which a mobile robot may move, e.g. within defined distances, to extend a manipulators workspace.

[0024] The global safety map may be “auto-generated” or customized and may in addition contain rules for selecting safety configurations of the mobile robots and / or production stations of a workspace. Obstacle information may be updated by on-board or by location- fixed safety sensors or detectors, as will be described further below, which may be combined with a navigation system. Object information may be dynamically updated by these sensors or detectors, e.g. a velocity may be measured, and may be complemented by communication with other system components.

[0025] In other words, a global safety map may contain location / space-based safety-related information about static obstacles and dynamic objects, such as mobile robots. In some embodiments, this map may be shared by all mobile robots, which in their turn have corresponding (local) safety configurations, as described further below, (i.e. safety zones and functions) that may be then activated based upon their actual location, states, and the information from the global safety map. In some embodiments, the global map may be dynamically updated by the mobile robots as well as other sensor systems installed in the work environment such as safety detectors including fixed location detectors, movable detectors and / or fixed location production station detectors as described in detail further below. In some embodiments, a central instance such as a global safety managing unit as described further below may be employed to manage and orchestrate the global map data.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the system allows operating the mobile robot based on a selected one of a plurality of safety configurations, wherein the selection of the safety configuration is based on at least one of an actual location of the mobile robot, an application state of the mobile robot, a pre-stored safety configuration, and / or the safety-rated information of the safety map.

[0027] Each mobile robot may have a set of pre-defined, verified, safety-rated configurations which may comprise safety zones and corresponding safety function parameters. Using predefined rules, the safety control of the mobile robot may select the configuration that fits to its location. A safety configuration may accordingly consider the safety requirements or rules of nature combined with the safety standards defined for a distinct region. The rules may be for instance defined according to international safety standards, respecting motion states like direction and velocity of the objects, their distances to each other, accessibility of the regions etc.

[0028] An actual location may include a real-time or current location of the mobile robot determined by respective positioning means, such as GPS etc. However, also any other suitable means for determining a current location of the mobile robot may be employed.

[0029] An application state may include a state the mobile robot may exhibit, such as a stance a mobile robot may have or the task the mobile robot is currently performing. For instance, it may be distinguished if the mobile robot is on transfer motion, manipulating, has its manipulator at stow position and / or carries a load or not.

[0030] The safety rated information of the global safety map may accordingly include any safety relevant information of regions of interest including work environment features, known non-movable object operational information, known movable object operational information, and / or unknown object operational information provided by the respective layers of the global safety map.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises at least one safety sensor comprising at least one of a fixed location detector and / or a movable detector, wherein at least one of the known non-movable object operational information, the known movable object operational information and / or unknown object operational information is based on a detection of the fixed location detector and / or the movable detector.

[0032] Accordingly, a broad variety of suitable safety information may be acquired and determined by one or more sensors arranged in the work environment and / or at the mobile robot. A safety sensor may include any type of sensor that may allow to gather safety relevant information, such as for instance location sensors, distance sensors, sensors for mapping the environment and / or sensors for an identification of an object and / or its operation condition. The respective sensors may provide continuously or periodically updated data such as the known non-movable object operational information, the known movable object operational information and / or unknown object operational information to the mobile robot, e.g. via a wired, wireless or mobile connection or any other suitable data connection means, and may accordingly facilitate for a mobile robot to distinguish between known, unknown, movable and non-movable stationary objects of interest with respect to safety and operation of the mobile robot, e.g., at a present time instance or at a future time instance.

[0033] A fixed location detector may include a detector or sensor that is arranged at a fixed location, such as for instance a detector or sensor that is fixedly arranged at a corridor or a crossing for surveilling one or more safety zones regarding elements, e.g. movable robots or persons that are located in / enter / leave said safety zone. Even though the absolute position of the fixed location detector may be generally stationary, the fixed location detector may be allowed to tilt or turn, for instance to change its field of view (FOV). Fixed location detectors may include any stationary sensor system e.g. on the pathways, at corners, etc.

[0034] A fixed location production station detector may include a detector or sensor that is arranged at a fixed location at a production station, for surveilling one or more safety zones in relation to the production station regarding any elements of interest, e.g. movable robots or persons that are located in / enter / leave said safety zone. The production station may include a local region wherein a particular task is performed e.g. by stationary or mobile robots. Even though the absolute position of the fixed location production station detector may be generally stationary, the fixed location production station detector may be allowed to tilt or turn, for instance to cover different FOVs. Fixed location detectors may include any stationary sensor system within production stations.

[0035] A movable detector may include a detector that may be allowed to change its position and is accordingly not fixedly located. As an example, the movable detector may include a detector that is mounted on a mobile robot. Thus, when the mobile robot moves, the detector mounted thereon accordingly moves and changes its absolute position or location. Furthermore, the movable detector may be allowed to tilt or turn, for instance to cover different FOVs.

[0036] Also a plurality of the above noted sensors or detectors may be provided, which may accordingly determine different types of information (e.g. spatial optical information or object identifying information) and which may cover the same or different FOVs. The one or more mobile robots may be accordingly supplied by the respective individual or the combined data information of the plurality of detectors via the global safety map.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the safety sensor comprises at least one of an optical sensor, a radio detection sensor, an odometry detection means, and / or a radio frequency identification, RFID, means. Thus, dependent on the information needed to ensure a safe operation of the mobile robot, a respective safety sensor may be suitably provided. This may also include a combination of different types of sensors to cover a broader range of safety relevant information, such as information about a location, a spatial extension and a respective movement of an object of interest. An optical sensor may include a sensor operating with optical means to determine object information such as for instance a camera operating in a visible or non-visible wavelength range. A radio detection sensor may include a sensor operating with radio waves, such as for instance a RADAR. An odometry detection means may include a means for determining the localization of an object based on odometry. An RFID means may include one or more of for instance a radio transponder, a radio receiver, or a radio transmitter, that may allow to identify and track an object via electromagnetic fields. The RFID means may include active elements, such as electrically powered elements, or passive elements such as any kind of tags known in the art. However, in different embodiments, the safety sensor may comprise further or different sensors and detectors for detecting one or more safety relevant information for the mobile robot.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the system further comprises at least one of at least one mobile vehicle safety controller arranged at the mobile robot for controlling safety related operations and elements of the mobile robot, and / or at least one production station safety controller arranged at one or more production stations located at the work environment of the mobile robot for controlling safety related operations and elements of the mobile robot.

[0039] Thus, the mobile robot and the production station may be accordingly suitably controllable by respective dedicated controllers. Consequently, the control of each mobile robot or production station may be tailored to the needs and requirements with respect to safety of each individual unit at the system. The mobile vehicle safety controller and the production station safety controller may also be referred to as local safety controllers. The respective local safety controllers may be adapted to receive safety detector data and may comprise means to allow analyzing and processing safety relevant data to control of the respective mobile robot or production station accordingly. The local safety controllers may for instance interact and communicate with motion and movement control means, such as means for accelerating and decelerating or stopping a movement of moving parts of a robot at the production station or of a mobile robot, to achieve a safe operation. The local safety controllers may also enable a communication with the work environment of the production station or of the mobile robot. In some embodiments, the local safety controllers may be adapted to communicate with a global safety managing unit, as described further below in detail, to provide and receive respective safety relevant data from the global safety map.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises a global safety managing unit adapted to control the mobile robot and / or the work environment based on the global safety map, wherein the global safety managing unit is adapted to receive information from at least one of the mobile robots, the fixed location detector and / or the movable detector and to update the global safety map based on the received information.

[0041] The global safety managing unit may include data processing means, which accordingly may allow to orchestrate and manage the global safety related information from different sources, and which may incorporate the respective safety rated data to the global safety map. The global safety managing unit may communicate with one or more safety sensors encompassed in the system and may accordingly allow controlling one or more of the mobile robots based on the global safety map. The global safety managing unit may be adapted to generate the global safety map and populate it by data received for instance from the respective safety sensors, such as the one or more fixed location detectors and / or the one or more movable detectors. The global safety map may also be accordingly updated based on the current safety information gathered from the respective detectors. The global safety map may be accordingly distributed by the global safety managing unit to the respective elements of the system to be controlled, such as the mobile robots or the production stations and their respective detectors.

[0042] The global safety map may be initially built upon the global coordinate system or a collection of global coordinate systems and may be populated by input from one or more CAD models, manual or automatic configuration input, sensor data at a commissioning of one or more elements of the system and / or sensor data during operation. Thus, the global safety managing unit may be adapted to create the global safety map based on input data, obtained for instance from a manual configuration or data from a model of the work environment, such as a model of the facility, which may be for instance a CAD model. The global safety map may be location- or space-based and the initial entries may be created manually, or via known mapping techniques but by employing a safety-rated sensor system, e.g. with a mobile robot driving through the locations of interest. For instance, data may be obtained from a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) discovery trip of the mobile robot moving through the facility. The initial data may be accordingly stored in the respective non-movable object information map layer. Known dynamic objects may then be registered manually, or with broadcast registration via a safe communication between the entities located in the system, such as mobile robots or stationary manipulators or robots located at fixed positions, for instance at the fixed location production station. Information about the objects (e.g. mobile robots, AM Rs, AGVs, mobile manipulators, stationary robots) may contain primarily their identity, location and occupied space. The occupied space of stationary dynamic objects like stationary robots may be their workspace.

[0043] Information about known mobile objects may be updated at the global safety managing unit via safe communication, e.g. a wireless communication, with safety related signals, e.g. location and operation state of objects of interest. Information about unknown objects, especially potential human workers, may be detected by the safety sensors, which may comprise one or more fixed location detectors, movable detectors and / or fixed location production station detectors. The information may be sent via safe communication to the global safety managing unit that may combine the inputs from several sources and may check it for consistency. In case of inconsistency, the related information as well as the related sources of this information may be regarded as unsafe, and the entities involved may be accordingly informed and must take safety action (e.g. going into safe state). A safe localization of mobile objects, such as mobile robots and / or human operators may be achieved by combining information from different sources such as odometry, RFID, optical sensors etc.

[0044] The global safety managing unit, which also may be referred to as a global safety controller may be accordingly adapted to receive, e.g. continuously or periodically, safety related data from a plurality of sources and may provide this information to any entities of the system via the global safety map. The global safety managing unit may accordingly acquire and distribute updated safety rated data from and to the local controllers upon a query request of the local controllers. Or the global safety managing unit may update the local safety controllers without a query request, e.g. via broadcasting updated information. The respective local controller may include a safety controller of a mobile vehicle and / or a robot immovably located at a production station.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises data storage means, and the global safety managing unit is adapted to store and / or update information received from at least one of the mobile robot, the fixed location detector and / or the movable detector at the data storage means.

[0046] Thus, the global safety map and the respective safety related data may be suitably stored and accessible for the entities of the system. The storage means may be a physical or software means that may allow storing safety rated data obtained from the safety managing unit. The storage means may be accordingly integrated in the global safety managing unit or may be remotely and operatively connected thereto. The data storage means may receive accordingly updated safety rated information from the global safety managing unit and may provide respective stored information to the global safety managing unit upon a respective query request from the global safety managing unit.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the global safety managing unit is adapted to receive updated data of at least one of the mobile robot, the fixed location detector and / or the movable detector, wherein the global safety managing unit is adapted to compare stored data and updated data, and, when a difference between stored and updated data is determined, the global safety managing unit is adapted to update at least one of the movable object information map layer, the non-movable object information map layer and / or the unknown object map layer based on the updated data.

[0048] Thus, a mobile robot may be continuously updated with global safety rated data received from one or more entities of the system. Hence, information received from different participants of the system may be fed to the respective map layers of the global safety map and accordingly provided to the participants of the system, such as one or more mobile robots, which may be accordingly controlled in a safe manner. For instance, if a known movable object is moving and a first safety detector determines the known moving object at a first location at a first time instance, and a second safety detector determines the same moving object at a second location at a second time instance, the movable object information map layer may be accordingly updated. The same proceeding may be likewise applied to any further map layer of the global safety map.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the mobile robot comprises a location sensor for determining the location of the mobile robot, wherein the mobile robot is adapted to send an updated location to the global safety managing unit, wherein the global safety managing unit is adapted to compare updated location data with stored location data, and when a difference between the stored location data and the updated location data is determined the global safety managing unit is adapted to update the movable object information map layer.

[0050] Thus, a mobile robot may be continuously updated with location data received from one or more entities of the system. Hence, location received from different participants of the system may be fed to one or more map layers of the plurality of map layers of the global safety map and accordingly provided to the participants of the system, such as the one or more mobile robots, which may be accordingly controlled in a safe manner. For instance, if a known movable object is moving and a location detector or sensor determines the known moving object at a first location at a first time instance, and a second location sensor determines the same moving object at a second location at a second time instance, the movable object information map layer may be accordingly updated. The same proceeding may be likewise applied to any further map layer of the global safety map.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the mobile robot, the vehicle safety controller, and / or the production station safety controller is adapted to send a query request to the global safety managing unit for safety data obtained from the global safety map, wherein the query request includes information about a queried map layer from which the information is desired, and wherein the query request includes position coordinates of the mobile robot at which the safety data is desired.

[0052] Thus, one or more of the entities or participants of the system may accordingly update their safety configuration or control based on queried updated safety rated information. For instance, the vehicle safety controller and the production station safety controller may query an update of the safety information based on the global safety map managed by the global safety managing unit. The global safety managing unit may accordingly query updated data from the storage means to receive a respective query response. The global safety managing unit may accordingly update the global safety map and send respective updated safety information based on the global safety map to the vehicle safety controller and the production station safety controller. In other embodiments, the global safety managing unit may send updated safety information based on updated information of the global safety map to the vehicle safety controller and the production station safety controller without querying data from the storage means. In some embodiments, the updated safety information may be broadcasted without a query to one or more system elements, for instance a vehicle safety controller, and / or a production station safety controller of the entities of the system.

[0053] The invention further relates to a computer-implemented method for controlling at least one mobile robot by a system according to the present invention, wherein the method comprises the step of providing a global safety map.

[0054] The global safety map comprises at least one geometry information map layer comprising spatial work environment feature information of features in a work environment of the mobile robot.

[0055] The global safety map further comprises at least one non-movable object information map layer comprising known non-movable object operational information of non-movable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot.

[0056] The global safety map further comprises at least one movable object information map layer comprising known movable object operational information of known movable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot.

[0057] The global safety map further comprises at least one unknown object map layer comprising unknown object operational information of unknown objects in the work environment of the mobile robot.

[0058] The method further comprises the step of controlling the mobile robot based on the information of the global safety map.

[0059] Thus, a method is provided which may allow for flexible location changes of the mobile robots as well as the dynamic changes in the environment. A motion and / or task of the mobile robot may be accordingly controlled in accordance with the information obtained from the global safety map. The control may for instance affect in non-limiting examples acceleration, deceleration, (emergency-) stop, turn, power off, lifting or lowering of goods, a change in the safety configuration etc., as described in detail further below.

[0060] In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of receiving, preferably by a global safety managing unit, safety information of at least one safety sensor arranged at the mobile robot, at least one safety sensor arranged at at least one production station, at least one vehicle safety controller arranged at the mobile robot, and updating the global safety map based on the received safety information. Thus, one or more of the entities or participants of the system may accordingly update the global safety map by respective safety-rated information and may accordingly receive respective safety rated information, also of other participants of the system. Accordingly, the method may take advantage of the plurality of different sensors and controllers provided in a work environment, which may provide respective safety rated information for an updated safety map. The global safety map may be directly updated with safety-rated information and exchanged between the participants of the system. In some embodiments, the participants of the system may provide their safety rated information to a global safety controller which accordingly manages the global safety map and distributes the updates of the global safety map or the global safety map to the respective entities of the system.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of querying, by the mobile robot, updated safety information from a global safety managing unit, and receiving, from the global safety managing unit, updated safety information based on the global safety map.

[0062] Thus, the mobile robot may accordingly update its safety configuration or control based on queried updated safety rated information. For instance, the mobile robot may query an update of the safety information based on the global safety map managed by the global safety managing unit. The global safety managing unit may accordingly query updated data from the storage means and receive a respective query response. The global safety managing unit may accordingly update the global safety map and send respective updated safety information based on the global safety map to the vehicle safety controller. In some embodiments, the global safety managing unit may send updated safety information based on updated information of the global safety map to the mobile robot querying data from the storage means. In some embodiments, the updated safety information may be broadcasted for instance without a query to the global managing unit to the respective participants, e.g. the mobile robots, of the system.

[0063] The invention further relates to a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to carry out and / or control any of the methods of the present disclosure.

[0064] The features of the system according to the present invention may be implemented by respective suitable digital or computational means, which may include, for instance, one or more computers, apps and / or networks. The method may be at least partly computer-implemented, and may be implemented in software or in hardware, or in software and hardware. Further, the method may be carried out by computer program instructions running on means such as a computing system that provide data processing functions.

[0065] The computing system or data processing means may be any suitable computing means, such as an electronic control module etc., which may be a localized or a distributed computer system. The data processing means or the computing system, respectively, may comprise one or more of a processor, a memory, a data interface, or the like.

[0066] The invention further relates to a computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out and / or control any of the methods of the present disclosure.

[0067] A computer program may be stored / distributed on a suitable medium such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium, supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.

[0068] Any of the computer or computing system, the computer-program product and / or the computer-readable medium described herein may be at least included in the system of the present invention or may be at least operatively coupled thereto.

[0069] The features and advantages outlined above in the context of the system and the method similarly apply to the computer program product and the computer-readable medium described herein.

[0070] Further features, examples, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the accompanying figures.

[0071] 4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0072] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to illustrate its practicality, figures are provided in the following and reference is made thereto. It should be understood that the figures represent only exemplary embodiments and thus in no way limit the scope of the claimed invention. Identical or like-acting elements are indicated throughout by the same or like reference signs. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0073] In the accompanying drawings,

[0074] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a method and a system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0075] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a method and a system according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0076] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a method and a system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] 5. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0078] Figure 1 depicts an embodiment of the system 1 and the method 100 of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment, the system 1 comprises two mobile robots 3, which are controlled based on a global safety map 5. Even though two mobile robots 3 are depicted, in different embodiments, there may be also only one mobile robot 3 or more than two mobile robots 3, as indicated by the three dots.

[0079] The global safety map 5 comprises a plurality of map layers 7, wherein each layer comprises different safety rated information for the mobile robots 3. In the depicted embodiment, the global safety map 5 comprises at least a geometry information map layer 7a, which includes spatial work environment feature information 9, a non-movable object information map layer 7b, which includes known non-movable object operational information 13, a movable object information map layer 7c, which includes known movable object operational information 17 and an unknown object map layer 7d, which includes unknown object operational information 21. As is indicated by the three dots the global safety map 5 could also include a different number of map layers, for instance also more or less than the above noted map layers 7.

[0080] In the depicted embodiment, as indicated by S1, the global safety map is provided to or accessed by a global safety managing unit 41. However, in different embodiments, no global safety managing unit 41 may be provided and the global safety map 5 may be exchanged directly by the mobile robots 3. The mobile robots 3 each have a movable detector 33b and a vehicle safety controller 35. Even though only one movable detector 33b is depicted, the mobile robot 3 may well comprise also more than one movable detector 33b. For instance, the multiple detectors may include one or more optical sensors, radio detection sensors, odometry detection means, RFID means etc. and may have the same or different FOVs.

[0081] The vehicle safety controller 35 receives and proceeds safety information acquired by the movable detector 33b and sends it to the global safety managing unit 41 (see S3). In a different embodiment, the movable detector 33b directly sends acquired information to the global safety managing unit 41. The global safety managing unit 41 may accordingly update the global safety map 5 based on the received safety information (see S4). The mobile robot may be accordingly controlled (S2) by the global safety managing unit 41 based on the information of the global safety map 5.

[0082] The system 1 further comprises two fixed location detectors 33a, which accordingly provide safety information to the global safety managing unit 41 (see S3). Even though two fixed location detectors 33a are depicted, in different embodiments, there may be also no, or only one fixed location detector 33a, or more than two fixed location safety detectors 33a, as indicated by the three dots. The fixed location detectors 33a acquire safety information and send it to the global safety managing unit 41 (see S3). The global safety managing unit 41 may accordingly update the global safety map 5 based on the received safety information (see S4). The fixed location detector 33a may be for instance a safety detector 33 that is fixedly arranged at a corridor or a crossing for surveilling a respective safety zone regarding elements, e.g. movable robots or persons that are located in / enter / leave the safety zone.

[0083] The system 1 further comprises two production stations 39, each comprising a fixed location production station detector 33c and a production station safety controller 37. Even though two production stations 39 are depicted, in different embodiments, there may be also only one production station 39 or more than two production stations 39, as indicated by the three dots. The fixed location production station detector 33c may be for instance a safety detector 33 that is fixedly arranged at a production station e.g. of a robot for surveilling a safety zone regarding elements, e.g. movable robots or persons that are located in / enter / leave the safety zone.

[0084] Even though only one fixed location production station detector 33c is depicted in the depicted embodiment for each production station 39, the production station 39 may well comprise also more than one fixed location production station detector 33c. For instance, the multiple detectors may include one or more optical sensors, radio detection sensors, odometry detection means, RFID means etc. and may have the same or different FOVs.

[0085] The production station safety controller 37 receives and proceeds safety information acquired by fixed location production station detector 33c and sends it to the global safety managing unit 41 (see S3). In a different embodiment, the fixed location production station detector 33c directly sends acquired information to the global safety managing unit 41. The global safety managing unit 41 may accordingly update the global safety map 5 based on the received safety information (see S4).

[0086] The global safety managing unit 41 is adapted to create the global safety map 5 based on input data 40, obtained for instance from a manual configuration or data from a model of the work environment, such as a model of the facility, which may be for instance a CAD model. The global safety map 5 may be location- or space-based, and the initial entries may be created manually, or via known mapping techniques but with a safety-rated sensor system, e.g. with a mobile robot 3 driving through the locations of interest. Optionally this data may be validated with other known methods. Known dynamic objects may then be registered manually, or with broadcast registration via a safe communication between the entities located in the system 1 , such as the mobile robots 3 or stationary manipulators or robots located at fixed positions, for instance at the fixed location production station 39. Information about the objects (e.g. mobile robots, AMRs, AGVs, mobile manipulators, stationary robots) may contain primarily their identity, location and occupied space. The occupied space of stationary dynamic objects like stationary robots may be their workspace.

[0087] Information about known mobile objects, e.g. location and operation state, may be updated at the global safety managing unit 41 via a safe communication with safe signals. Information about unknown objects, especially potentially human workers, may be detected by the safety sensors 33, which may include one or more fixed location detectors 33a, movable detectors 33b and / or fixed location production station detectors 33c comprising sensors of the mobile robots, but also any stationary sensor systems within stations, on the pathways, at corners, etc.

[0088] The information may be sent via safe communication to the global safety managing unit 41 that is configured to combine the inputs from several sources and check for consistency. In case of inconsistency, the related information as well as the related sources of this information may be regarded as unsafe, and the entities involved may be accordingly informed and must take safety action (e.g. going into safe state). A safe localization of mobile objects, such as mobile robots 3 and / or human operators may be achieved by combining information from different sources such as odometry, RFID, optical sensors etc. Depending on the applications requirements, a safe localization may be needed for all positions.

[0089] The safe localization may be provided for instance at docking positions of the mobile robot 3 or when the mobile robot 3 enters a safety-related region. Therefore, it may be sufficient to install a limited number of safety sensors 33 at such key positions. In some embodiments, two items of safety-related location info may be generally provided, namely the presence of any safety relevant entities within zones / map nodes and the coordinates of this presence, if available.

[0090] In the depicted embodiment, the mobile robot 3 queries (cf. S5) updated safety information from a global safety managing unit 41 , and receives (cf. S6), from the global safety managing unit 41 , updated safety information based on the global safety map 5.

[0091] In some embodiments each mobile robot 3 may check its own location in a safe way, updates its information in the global safety map 5, and retrieves information about the environment from the global safety map 5. Each mobile robot 3 may have a set of predefined, verified, safety-rated configurations with safety zones and corresponding safety function parameters. Using pre-defined rules, the safety control of the mobile robot 3 may select the configuration that fits to its location. The rules may be defined according to international safety standards, respecting motion states like direction and velocity of the objects, their distances to each other, accessibility of the regions etc. For the safety control of the mobile robot 3, it may be important to receive the information from the global safety map 5, e.g. a type of region the mobile robot 3 is currently entering or has entered, and the presence of other objects. It may include also temporary muting of certain safety functions where presence of human is prevented or otherwise known via the global safety map 5 safety map.

[0092] Further, a computer-program product 400 and a computer-readable medium 300 are shown, each comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computing system or computer 200, cause the computing system 200 to carry out and / or control the method of the present invention, in particular the methods as illustrated in Figures 1 , 2 or 3. In the depicted embodiment, the computing system 200, the computer-program product 300 and the computer-readable medium 400 are depicted as external elements. However, it will be understood that in different embodiments, any of the computing system 200, the computerprogram product 300 and the computer-readable medium 400 may be at least partly integrated and / or operatively coupled to the system 1.

[0093] Figure 2 depicts an embodiment of the system 1 and the method 100 of the present invention. In particular, the system 1 may allow operating a mobile robot 3 based on a selected one of a plurality of safety configurations 25, wherein the selection 28 of the safety configuration 25 is based on at least one of an actual location 27 of the mobile robot 3, an application state 29 of the mobile robot 3, a pre-stored safety configuration 31 , and / or the safety-rated information of the safety map 5. The information of the safety map 5 may be accordingly populated and updated by data originating from safety detectors 33, such as a fixed location 33a and / or a movable detector 33b. Safety-rated information of the safety map 5 may include static obstacle information, dynamic object (incl. human workers) information and safety states, e.g. related to the location or region.

[0094] Figure 3 depicts an embodiment of the system 1 and the method 100 of the present invention. In particular, the depicted embodiment shows how the global safety map 5 may be queried and updated with data. In the depicted embodiment, one or more fixed location detectors 33a may acquire respective information or data 34a, which is then accordingly send to and received by the global safety managing unit 41 (cf. S3). Further, one or more movable detectors 33b acquire respective information or data and send it to the vehicle safety controller 35. The respective data 34b originating from the movable detector 33b may be accordingly send to and received by the global safety managing unit 41 (cf. S3). In a different embodiment, the movable detector 33b may directly send the data 34b to the global safety managing unit 41. Further, one or more fixed location production station detectors 33c acquire respective information or data and send it to the production station safety controller 37. The respective data 34c originating from the fixed location production station detector 33c may be accordingly send to and received by the global safety managing unit 41 (cf. S3). In a different embodiment, the fixed location production station detector 33c may directly send the data 34c to the global safety managing unit 41.

[0095] The global safety managing unit 41 may accordingly store the received data or information at the storage means 43 and populate and update the global safety map 5 accordingly. The vehicle safety controller 35 and the production station safety controller 37 may query an update of the safety information based on the global safety map 5 managed by the global safety managing unit 41. The global safety managing unit 41 may accordingly query updated data from the storage means 43 and receive a respective query response, as indicated in the depicted embodiment. The global safety managing unit 41 may accordingly update the global safety map 5 and send respective updated safety information based on the global safety map 5 to the vehicle safety controller 35 and the production station safety controller 37, as indicated in the depicted embodiment. In another embodiment, the global safety managing unit sends updated safety information based on updated information of the global safety map 5 to the vehicle safety controller 35 and the production station safety controller 37 without querying data from the storage means 43, e.g. by a broadcast.

[0096] In the following, some non-limiting working examples for employing the present invention are presented.

[0097] Working example 1 - “E-stop”:

[0098] One example of application may be an emergency stop (E-stop) scenario, wherein, when an E-stop is issued e.g. via pressing the E-stop button on a mobile robot 3, or at a station, all active objects within the region around must be put into safe stop, and other mobile objects (e.g. AGV, AMR, ...) shall not enter this region. There may be two types of regions to which this may apply. In a first example, stations may have a defined spatial dimension that may be registered into the global safety map 5 at an initialization. Each E- stop button may be connected to such a defined region, which may be typically a closed region, either physically or monitored by safety sensors 33. In a second example, the region may be a defined space around each mobile entity, in case it is not within a station.

[0099] The safety signal may be sent to the corresponding safety control(s), and in parallel, also sent to the global safety managing unit 41 , so that the state of the region may be marked as “e-stop”. Mobile objects which are within this region may be either stopped directly by the safety control, or may be informed based on their own location, and then may be put into safe stop. Mobile objects outside that intended to enter the region may be also aware of the “e-stop” state of the region and will not enter it. A “safety region” may be in the context of “integrated manufacturing systems (ISO 11161)” a so-called “task zone” over which the span-of-control of certain safety functions is dynamically updated to consider all relevant action components. Working example 2 - “non-viewable areas”:

[0100] Safety-related zones, for instance at places that are difficult or impossible to view, such as a crossway or a turn, may be registered in the global safety map 5. A fixed location detector 33a, which may be for instance a locally installed safety-related sensor (SRS) such as a LIDAR sensor, may detect objects, such as one or more mobile robots 3 or persons approaching the crossway or turn, which enter this zone, and may accordingly update the global safety map 5 with the presence of the objects in this zone. The respective detection of the objects may depend on a sensor functionality and optionally with a location of the objects. The mobile robots 3 may update themselves and their positions in the global safety map 5. The mobile robots 3 may decide on their own whether to slow down or not, depending on the presence of other objects.

[0101] It may be that mobile robots 3 having an on-board safety detector 33 or sensor, which may accordingly be a movable detector 33b, e.g., a time-of-flight camera, the sight of the sensor may be limited, as it may not able to detect or observe approaching mobile objects around the corner. However, the non-observable objects may be accordingly observed and detected by a different safety sensor 33 of the system 1 , such as a fixed location sensor 33a arranged at the corner of the crossway or turn, or a different movable detector 33b arranged at a different mobile robot 3 having a different FOV. Since the respective information of all sensors may be shared with each other and the global safety managing unit 41 via the global safety map 3, the mobile robot 3 may be accordingly made aware of objects, which it is not able to directly detect. In case of several mobile robots 3 with on-board sensors, regardless of locally installed one, the fusion of the safety related information may increase the efficiency of the overall application.

[0102] Working example 3 - “changing safety configuration upon regions”:

[0103] A movable robot 3 may change its current safety configuration based on the global safety map 5 in dependence on the region, in which the movable robot 3 currently operates. Such regions, for which a particular safety configuration could be defined, may be, for instance, robot stations, e.g. stations at which only robots operate, or mixed or manual stations, e.g. stations at which human workers additionally operate. Such regions may be registered in the global safety map 5, optionally with potential docking positions for the robots marked. Additionally, there may be secured regions, wherein no humans are present, or regions, where a human may enter, but may not be intended to interact with robots. A mobile robot 3 may accordingly switch between different safety configurations when it enters, operates in, or leaves such regions.

[0104] Working example 4 - “mobile robots passing by”:

[0105] Known dynamic objects like movable robots 3 register themselves in the global safety map 5 and may update their state including, for instance, a location, a motion direction, a velocity and / or an acceleration or deceleration. When two or more mobile robots 3 passing by, there may be no need to drastically slow down, when no unknown object is detected nearby. Thus, the mobile robots 3 could update their safety configuration based on the safety-related information from the global safety map 5 to avoid an unnecessary slow-down.

[0106] LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0107] 1 system

[0108] 3 mobile robot

[0109] 5 global safety map

[0110] 7 plurality of map layers

[0111] 7a geometry information map layer

[0112] 7b non-movable object information map layer

[0113] 7c movable object information map layer

[0114] 7d unknown object map layer

[0115] 9 spatial work environment feature information

[0116] 13 known non-movable object operational information

[0117] 17 known movable object operational information

[0118] 21 unknown object operational information

[0119] 25 safety configurations

[0120] 27 actual location

[0121] 28 selection of safety configuration

[0122] 29 application state

[0123] 31 safety configuration

[0124] 33 safety detector

[0125] 33a fixed location detector

[0126] 33b movable detector

[0127] 33c fixed location production station detector

[0128] 34a data from fixed location detector

[0129] 34b data from movable detector

[0130] 34c data from fixed location detector at production station - 1 -

[0131] 35 vehicle safety controller

[0132] 37 production station safety controller

[0133] 39 production station

[0134] 40 input data

[0135] 41 global safety managing unit

[0136] 43 storage means

[0137] 100 method

[0138] 200 computing system

[0139] 300 computer program product

[0140] 400 computer-readable medium

[0141] S1-S6 method steps

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system (1) for controlling at least one mobile robot (3), wherein the system (1) is adapted to control an operation of at least one mobile robot (3) at least partially based on a global safety map (5) comprising safety-rated information for the mobile robot (3), wherein the global safety map (5) comprises a plurality of map layers (7) comprising different categories of safety-rated information, wherein the plurality of map layers (7) comprises: at least one geometry information map layer (7a) comprising spatial work environment feature information (9) of features in a work environment of the mobile robot (3), at least one non-movable object information map layer (7b) comprising known nonmovable object operational information (13) of non-movable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot (3), at least one movable object information map layer (7c) comprising known movable object operational information (17) of known movable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot (3), at least one unknown object map layer (7d) comprising unknown object operational information (21) of unknown objects in the work environment of the mobile robot (3).

2. The system (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the system (1) allows operating the mobile robot (3) based on a selected one of a plurality of safety configurations (25), wherein the selection (28) of the safety configuration (25) is based on at least one of: an actual location (27) of the mobile robot (3), an application state (29) of the mobile robot (3), a pre-stored safety configuration (31), and / or the safety-rated information of the safety map (5).

3. The system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (1) comprises at least one safety sensor (33) comprising at least one of a fixed location detector (33a, 33c) and / or a movable detector (33b), wherein at least one of the known non-movable object operational information (17), the known movable object operational information (17) and / or unknown object operational information (21) is based on a detection of the fixed location detector (33a, 33c) and / or the movable detector (33b).

4. The system (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the safety sensor (33) comprises at least one of an optical sensor, a radio detection sensor, an odometry detection means, and / or a radio frequency identification, RFID, means.

5. The system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (1) further comprises at least one of: at least one mobile vehicle safety controller (35) arranged at the mobile robot (3) for controlling safety related operations and elements of the mobile robot (3), and / or at least one production station safety controller (37) arranged at one or more production stations (39) located at the work environment of the mobile robot (3) for controlling safety related operations and elements of the mobile robot (3).

6. The system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (1) comprises a global safety managing unit (41) adapted to control the mobile robot (3) and / or the work environment based on the global safety map (5), wherein the global safety managing unit (41) is adapted to receive information from at least one of the mobile robots (3), the fixed location detector (33a, 33c) and / or the movable detector (33b) and to update the global safety map (5) based on the received information.

7. The system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (1) comprises data storage means (43), andwherein the global safety managing unit (41) is adapted to store and / or update information received from at least one of the mobile robot (3), the fixed location detector (33a, 33c) and / or the movable detector (33b) at the data storage means (43).

8. The system (1) according to one of the preceding claims 6 or 7, wherein the global safety managing unit (41) is adapted to receive updated data of at least one of the mobile robot (3), the fixed location detector (33a, 33c) and / or the movable detector (33b), wherein the global safety managing unit (41) is adapted to compare stored data and updated data, and, when a difference between stored and updated data is determined, the global safety managing unit (41) is adapted to update at least one of the movable object information map layer (7b), the non-movable object information map layer (7c) and / or the unknown object map layer (7c) based on the updated data.

9. The system (1) according to one of the preceding claims 6 to 8, wherein the mobile robot (3) comprises a location sensor for determining the location of the mobile robot (3), wherein the mobile robot (3) is adapted to send an updated location to the global safety managing unit (41), wherein the global safety managing unit (41) is adapted to compare updated location data with stored location data, and when a difference between the stored location data and the updated location data is determined the global safety managing unit is adapted to update the movable object information map layer (7c).

10. The system according to the preceding claim, wherein at least one of the mobile robot (3), the vehicle safety controller (35), and / or the production station safety controller (37) is adapted to send a query request to the global safety managing unit (41) for safety data obtained from the global safety map (5),wherein the query request includes information about a queried map layer (7) from which the information is desired, and wherein the query request includes position coordinates of the mobile robot (3) at which the safety data is desired.

11. A computer-implemented method (100) for controlling at least one mobile robot (3) by a system (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 10, wherein the method (100) comprises the steps of: providing (S1) a global safety map (5), wherein the global safety map (5) comprises: at least one geometry information map layer (7a) comprising spatial work environment feature information (9) of features in a work environment of the mobile robot (3), at least one non-movable object information map layer (7b) comprising known non-movable object operational information (13) of one non-movable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot (3), at least one movable object information map layer (7c) comprising known movable object operational information (17) of known movable objects in the work environment of the mobile robot (3), at least one unknown object map layer (7d) comprising unknown object operational information (21) of unknown objects in the work environment of the mobile robot (3), and controlling (S2) the mobile robot (3) based on the information of the global safety map (5).

12. The method (100) according to the proceeding claim, wherein the method (100) further comprises the steps of: receiving (S3), preferably by a global safety managing unit (41), safety information of: at least one safety sensor (33) arranged at the mobile robot (3),at least one safety sensor (33) arranged at at least one production station (39), at least one vehicle safety controller (35) arranged at the mobile robot (3), and updating (S4) the global safety map (5) based on the received safety information.

13. The method (100) according to the proceeding claim, further comprising the step of querying (S5), by the mobile robot (3), updated safety information from a global safety managing unit (41), and receiving (S6), from the global safety managing unit (41), updated safety information based on the global safety map (5).

14. A computer program product (300) comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computing system (200), cause the computing system (200) to carry out and / or control the method of any of claims 11 to 13.

15. A computer-readable medium (400) comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing system (200), cause the computing system (200) to carry out and / or control the method of any of claims 11 to 13.

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