Dynamically determining and monitoring workspace safe zones using semantic representations of workpieces

A method of safely operating machinery in a three-dimensional (3D) workspace, the method comprising the steps of:

• monitoring the workspace with a plurality of sensors distributed thereabout, each of the sensors comprising a grid of pixels for recording images of a portion of the workspace within a sensor field of view, the workspace portions partially overlapping with each other;
• registering the sensors with respect to each other so that the images obtained by the sensors collectively represent the workspace;
• storing, in a computer memory, (i) a plurality of images from the sensors, (ii) a model of the machinery and its permitted movements during performance of a planned activity, and (iii) a safety protocol specifying speed restrictions of the machinery in proximity to a human and a minimum separation distance between a machine and a human;
• computationally generating, from the stored images, a 3D spatial representation of the workspace;
• computationally identifying and monitoring over time a representation of space occupied by the machinery within the workspace as a 3D machinery region and computationally defining, around the machinery region, a 3D envelope region spanning all points reachable by the machinery only during performance of the planned activity in accordance with the stored model, the 3D envelope region encompassing less than all points that the machinery is capable of reaching;
• recognizing interaction between the machinery and a workpiece within the workspace;
• in response to the recognized interaction, computationally updating the 3D envelope region to include the workpiece;
• and
• computationally generating a 3D safe zone around the machinery region, the 3D safe zone including the 3D envelope region as updated, in accordance with the safety protocol.