Controlling a compliant-controlled robot

A method for controlling a robot, the method comprising:

• performing by a robot controller a boundary monitoring of the robot;
• controlling by the robot controller movement of at least one axis of the robot with a first return force, wherein the first return force operates to return the robot from a current position in a blocked area to a boundary of the blocked area and the first return force is predetermined independent of a distance of the current position from the boundary, if the robot is moved a specified distance toward the boundary or parallel to the boundary;
• and
• controlling by the robot controller movement of at least one axis of the robot with a second return force, which is greater than the first return force, the second return force being predetermined, if the robot is moved by the specified distance away from the boundary.

A controller for controlling a robot, the controller having program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and that, when executed by the controller, causes the controller to:

• determine whether or not a boundary monitoring of the robot has been activated;
• control movement of at least one axis of the robot with a first return force if the robot, upon activation of the boundary monitoring, is already in a blocked area, wherein the first return force operates to return the robot from a current position in the blocked area to a boundary of the blocked area and is predetermined independent of a distance of the current position from the boundary;
• and
• control movement of at least one axis of the robot with a second return force if the robot arrived at the current position in the blocked area after activation of the boundary monitoring, wherein the second return force operates to return the robot from the current position toward the boundary and is predetermined;
• wherein the first return force is at least temporarily less than the second return force.

A computer programming product having program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the program code, when executed by a controller associated with a multi-axis robot, causing the controller to:

• determine whether or not a boundary monitoring of the robot has been activated;
• control movement of at least one axis of the robot with a first return force if the robot, upon activation of the boundary monitoring, is already in a blocked area, wherein the first return force operates to return the robot from a current position in the blocked area to a boundary of the blocked area and is predetermined independent of a distance of the current position from the boundary;
• and
• control movement of at least one axis of the robot with a second return force if the robot arrived at the current position in the blocked area after activation of the boundary monitoring, wherein the second return force operates to return the robot from the current position toward the boundary and is predetermined;
• wherein the first return force is at least temporarily less than the second return force.