State machine for dynamic path planning

A method for dynamically planning a path of an industrial robot, said method comprising:

• providing a state machine computing system having a processor and memory configured to run a state machine algorithm including a track path state, a change speed state and a replan path state;
• providing a sensor system comprising at least one sensor configured to detect objects in a workspace of the robot, said sensor system providing signals to the state machine computing system;
• and
• continuously computing, using the state machine computing system, a path to be followed by a tool on the robot, including identifying workspace object data based on the signals from the sensor system, controlling movement of the tool on a current path in the track path state, transitioning to the change speed state when necessary based on the object data, transitioning from the change speed state to either the track path state using the current path at a new speed or to the replan path state, and transitioning from the replan path state to the track path state using either a new path or an original path.