The invention relates to a method for operating a robot and to a robot, wherein the robot comprises movable elements ELE.sub.m which can be driven by actuators AKT.sub.n, and is designed to carry out a movement B with the elements ELE.sub.m, and wherein the robot comprises a detection system for determining signals W.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B(t) of a group of measurement variables G.sub.k.sup.B characterizing the movement B of the elements ELE.sub.m and the interactions thereof with an environment. The proposed method comprises the following steps: determining (10), by means of the detection system, reference signals W.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B.sup.R(t) of the measurement variables G.sub.k.sup.B during at least one execution of the movement B of the elements ELE.sub.m which is in the form of a reference movement B; automatically determining (102), based on the reference signals W.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B.sup.R (t), using an adaptive method, a mathematical model M.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B for describing the reference movement B including the reference interactions by the measurement variables G.sub.k.sup.B, during a normal execution of the movement B by the model M.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B; predicting (103) signals W.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B.sup.P(t) for describing the reference movement B, including the reference interactions by the measurement variables G.sub.k.sup.B; comparing (104) the signals W.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B(t) determined currently during the normal execution of the movement B with the predicted signals W.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B(t) for determining a deviation Δ.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B(t) between W.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B.sup.P(t) and in W.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B; insofar as the deviation Δ.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B(t) does not meet a predefined condition BED.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B, based on the deviation Δ.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B(t) classifying (105) the current deviation Δ.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B(t) in one of a number I of predefined error categories F.sub.i,G.sub.k.sub.B(Δ.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B(t)), wherein predefined control information S.sub.F.sub.i.sub.,G.sub.k.sub.B(t) for the actuators AKT.sub.k is produced for each of the error categories F.sub.i,G.sub.k.sub.B(Δ.sub.G.sub.k.sub.B
