A method for controlling an autonomous mobile robot for carrying out a task in a local region of an area of application of the robot. According to one embodiment, the method comprises the following steps: positioning the robot in starting position within the area of application of the robot; detecting information relating to the surroundings of the robot by means of at least one sensor; selecting a region with a determined geometric basic shape; and automatically determining, based on the detected information relating to the surroundings, at least one of the two following parameters: size and position (also including the orientation/alignment) of the selected region.