Method and apparatus for implementing a safety configuration

A robot system, comprising:

• a manipulator;
• an operation controller adapted to control the manipulator to carry out an action instruction from a manipulator control program;
• and
• a safety controller adapted to detect whether a constraint is respected or not when carrying out the action instruction;
• wherein the safety controller is adapted to extract the constraint from a constraint instruction of the manipulator control program;
• wherein instructions of the manipulator control program are grouped into functions, the functions comprising a main function and functions invoked directly by the main function or indirectly via one or more intermediate functions, wherein by default:
• a constraint instruction of an invoking function is valid during execution of a function invoked by it, and/or
• a constraint instruction of an invoked function becomes void when the invoked function terminates;
• and
• wherein when the constraint instruction of an invoking function is stricter than the constraint instruction of a function invoked by it, a notice is output.

An operation controller associated with a manipulator and having thereon stored a manipulator control program for a robot system, the manipulator control program comprising action instructions executable by the operation controller to control the manipulator of the robot system to carry out an action instruction, the manipulator control program comprising constraint instructions from which a constraint to be observed while executing the action instruction is adapted to be extracted by a safety controller;

• wherein:
• a) the action instruction defines at least one of a path to be followed by an end effector, a target position to be reached by the end effector, a target pose to be assumed by the end effector and an action to be carried out by a tool wielded by the end effector;
• wherein b) the at least one constraint instruction defines a constraint to be observed while carrying out an action instruction;
• wherein c) the action instruction is carried out under the constraint defined in the at least one constraint instruction, or the manipulator is transferred into a safety mode if violation of the at least one constraint is detected while carrying out the action instruction;
• wherein instructions of the manipulator control program are grouped into functions, the functions comprising a main function and functions invoked directly by the main function or indirectly via one or more intermediate functions, wherein by default:
• a constraint instruction of an invoking function is valid during execution of a function invoked by it, and/or
• a constraint instruction of an invoked function becomes void when the invoked function terminates;
• and
• wherein when the constraint instruction of an invoking function is stricter than the constraint instruction of a function invoked by it, a notice is output by the operating controller.