Flexible creation of a 3D-Map in an unknown environment by a robot

With the advent of collaborative robots, the demand for manipulators is constantly increasing, especially in SMEs. Hence, the risk of collisions and resulting damage due to programs written by inexperienced users is also simultaneously increasing. Due to the lack of 3D maps of the environment, there are no comprehensive support systems available to check programmed sequences for collision-free execution or to optimize them subsequently. This leads to longer process times and complicates commissioning, especially for inexperienced users. In this paper, a method is presented in which a collaborative robot can autonomously create a 3D map of its environment. Subsequently, the created environment map can be used to optimize existing processes, guarantee collision-free motions and support the operator during commissioning.