Safe operation of a robotic system

A method of operating a robotic system comprising at least one robot, a robot controller configured to control an operation of the at least one robot, a robot sensor system comprising at least one robot sensor coupled to the robot controller to detect a presence of an object in a robot safety zone, the robot safety zone at least partially surrounding the at least one robot and comprising an entering area and an exiting area, and at least one automated vehicle for supplying the at least one robot, the at least one automated vehicle comprising at least one vehicle sensor for detecting a presence of an object in a vehicle safety zone, the vehicle safety zone at least partially surrounding the at least one automated vehicle, the method comprising:

• moving the at least one automated vehicle at least partly into the robot safety zone;
• determining, with the robot controller, an entry of the at least one automated vehicle into the robot safety zone;
• and
• adjusting, with the robot controller based on determining the entry of the at least one vehicle into the robot safety zone, at least a part of the robot safety zone by temporarily muting the entering area and merging the robot safety zone and the vehicle safety zone,
• determining, with the robot controller, that the at least one automated vehicle is fully inside the robot safety zone,
• further adjusting, with the robot controller based on determining that the at least one automated vehicle is fully inside the robot safety zone, at least the part of the robot safety zone by un-muting the entering area and un-merging the robot safety zone and the vehicle safety zone,
• determining, with the robot controller, an exiting of the at least one automated vehicle out of the robot safety zone, and
• further adjusting, with the robot controller based on determining that the at least one automated vehicle is exiting the robot safety zone, at least the part of the robot safety zone by temporarily muting the exiting area and merging the robot safety zone and the vehicle safety zone.