Methods and devices for identifying and defining a safety zone for restricting movement of a robotic arm in an operating room during a medical procedure are disclosed. The disclosed method utilizes medical navigation system, which receives an initiation input indicating initiation of defining of the safety zone. In response to receiving the initiation input, the system tracks an instrument and determines the location of the tracked instrument relative to a reference point. The system detects changes in the location of the tracked instrument until a termination input is received at the medical navigation system. The termination input indicates the termination of the defining of the safety zone. The system stores, in memory, change data indicative of the changes in the location of the tracked instrument. The data identifies the safety zone relative to the reference point.
