Happy’s Tech Talk #41: Sustainability and Circularity for Electronics Manufacturing
Facing the Future: Challenges and Opportunities in Reshoring PCB Manufacturing
It’s Only Common Sense: Stop Chasing New Customers and Start Keeping the Ones You Have
FORT Robotics Introduces Oversight, Its New Safety and Security Platform for Smart Machines
March 4, 2020 | Business WireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
FORT Robotics, a VC-funded company dedicated to safety and security for smart machines, is introducing its next-generation platform, Oversight™. The first-of-its-kind control system enhances worker safety and machine security with built-in encryption, safety-certified communications, and advanced software features with seamless connectivity through web and mobile applications.
FORT developed Oversight after working for several years with over 200 customers, including many of the most advanced robot development teams across numerous Fortune 100 companies, VC-funded startups, and academic and government research labs. Oversight reflects these customers’ need to maintain safe and secure remote control over large machines at all times, even if they’re fully autonomous and connected to the internet. FORT sees Oversight as a critical step in its mission to make robust functional safety and cybersecurity easier to build into smart machines.
“Every machine is becoming connected and autonomous, and we are building Oversight as the protective layer to ensure those machines are safe and secure,” said Samuel Reeves, Founder and CEO of FORT Robotics. “Construction, agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and countless niches are being transformed by smart machines, and we want to give the engineering teams developing these solutions the freedom to focus on their applications with the confidence that safety supervision and endpoint security are taken care of.”
Key benefits of FORT Oversight include:
- Remote Control Designed for Autonomy: Advanced collaboration features enable safe control transitions between different machines and users in multiple operation modes-- from manual to fully autonomous-- with minimal friction.
- Flexible and Future-Proof: WiFi, Bluetooth, ISM, and LTE network options enable global and diverse use cases, for today and tomorrow, plus the ability to use Oversight as the machine’s primary communications gateway.
- User-Configurable Wireless Safety: Expandable safety I/O allows additional safety devices to be integrated and bridged wirelessly.
- Rugged, Ergonomic, Industrialized Hardware: Extreme temperature ranges, ingress protection, and hardened mechanical design on the machine, familiar but rugged form factor in the handset.
- Seamless Configuration and Updates: Smart device integration enables system updates and user access control in the field; web portal provides easy configuration and monitoring of the ecosystem remotely.
- Powerful Security: Hardware-based authentication ensures that only approved operators are allowed to operate machines, approved developers are allowed to modify machines, and approved organizations are allowed to communicate with machines.
About FORT Robotics
FORT Robotics is a VC-funded startup based in Philadelphia whose mission is to enable safety and security for smart machines. FORT’s solutions have serviced hundreds of customers, including dozens of Fortune 500 companies and other VC-funded startups in construction, agriculture, material handling, manufacturing, robotics, and more. FORT’s proprietary hardware and software solutions provide a protective layer for any machine environment, ensuring that people remain in control, machines stay safe and security risk is mitigated, especially in autonomous systems.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
Smart Automation: Pick-and-place Machines—What Matters in 2025
08/12/2025 | Josh Casper -- Column: Smart AutomationWhen people talk about placement technology, they often zero in on speed: How fast can a machine place components? What's the quoted components per hour (CPH)? How many nozzles are on the head? While these metrics matter, on most production floors, the fastest machine on paper isn’t always the most productive.
Driving Innovation: Inner Layer Alignment Methods in PCB Production
08/06/2025 | Kurt Palmer -- Column: Driving InnovationIn PCB manufacturing, precision is a fundamental requirement. Among many complex processes, the accurate registration of inner layers before lamination is one of the most critical. Much like a child's game where rings must be perfectly stacked onto a single pin, PCB manufacturers align multiple conductive and insulating layers to form a cohesive, functional board. This alignment directly affects PCB precision; tighter layer alignment results in smaller "annular rings," superior performance, and higher yields.
Smarter Machines Use AOI to Transform PCB Inspections
06/30/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineAs automated optical inspection (AOI) evolves from traditional end-of-process inspections to proactive, in-line solutions, the integration of AI and machine learning is revolutionizing defect reduction and enhancing yields, marking a pivotal shift in how quality is managed in manufacturing.
Technica USA Announces New Strategic Partnership with I.T.C. Intercircuit Production GmbH
06/24/2025 | Technica USATechnica USA is pleased to announce a new distribution and representative agreement with I.T.C. Intercircuit Production GmbH, a globally recognized manufacturer of advanced equipment for the PCB manufacturing industry.
Smart Automation: The Power of Data Integration in Electronics Manufacturing
06/24/2025 | Josh Casper -- Column: Smart AutomationAs EMS companies adopt automation, machine data collection and integration are among the biggest challenges. It’s now commonplace for equipment to collect and output vast amounts of data, sometimes more than a manufacturer knows what to do with. While many OEM equipment vendors offer full-line solutions, most EMS companies still take a vendor-agnostic approach, selecting the equipment companies that best serve their needs rather than a single-vendor solution.