A method for operating a robot system that comprises the steps of: (a) providing a robot system that includes: an arm having multiple degrees of freedom of movement; a movable carriage for carrying the robot; a track, said movable carriage carrying said robot on said track; a scanner mounted upon an end of the robot arm; and an operator station located remotely from the robot arm, the operator station including a computer and associated software, wherein the operator station is operable to control movement of the robot arm and the carriage; (b) defining a safe working volume of an operating environment surrounding the robot based on minimum clearances from the track, the safe working volume providing the robot sufficient space to translate along the track in a tucked position without colliding with the operating environment; (c) collecting data regarding the operating environment surrounding the robot with the scanner, said robot translating along said track in the tucked position whilst collecting the environmental data, so that the robot is within the safe working volume of the operating environment and does not collide with any portion of the operational environment; (d) utilizing the scanned data to define surfaces within the robot operational environment, the defined surfaces being a better estimate of the volume of the operating environment surrounding the robot; (e) selecting a desired position for the robot within the operational environment; (f) determining a path for moving the robot to the desired position selected in step (e) that avoids any collisions between the robot and the surfaces defined in step (d); and (g) moving the robot carriage to the position selected in step (e) via the path determined in step (f). (a) providing a robot system that includes: an arm having multiple degrees of freedom of movement; a movable carriage for carrying the robot; a track, said movable carriage carrying said robot on said track; a scanner mounted upon an end of the robot arm; and an operator station located remotely from the robot arm, the operator station including a computer and associated software, wherein the operator station is operable to control movement of the robot arm and the carriage; an arm having multiple degrees of freedom of movement; a movable carriage for carrying the robot; a track, said movable carriage carrying said robot on said track; a scanner mounted upon an end of the robot arm; and an operator station located remotely from the robot arm, the operator station including a computer and associated software, wherein the operator station is operable to control movement of the robot arm and the carriage; (b) defining a safe working volume of an operating environment surrounding the robot based on minimum clearances from the track, the safe working volume providing the robot sufficient space to translate along the track in a tucked position without colliding with the operating environment; (c) collecting data regarding the operating environment surrounding the robot with the scanner, said robot translating along said track in the tucked position whilst collecting the environmental data, so that the robot is within the safe working volume of the operating environment and does not collide with any portion of the operational environment; (d) utilizing the scanned data to define surfaces within the robot operational environment, the defined surfaces being a better estimate of the volume of the operating environment surrounding the robot; (e) selecting a desired position for the robot within the operational environment; (f) determining a path for moving the robot to the desired position selected in step (e) that avoids any collisions between the robot and the surfaces defined in step (d); and (g) moving the robot carriage to the position selected in step (e) via the path determined in step (f).