Podcast: FORT Robotics on how to keep humans safe and in control of robots

The automotive sector has, for years, driven the growth of the robotics industry. But robots are now moving beyond industrial manufacturing environments and into other industries, including agriculture, construction, healthcare and logistics, to name a few.

As robots continue to find new applications, alleviating concerns about safety and security are crucial to their adoption, acceptance and success. Thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, many workplaces will in the near future see new robots working alongside their human coworkers. Safety and security must be top of mind as robots can bring risks, and security threats can become safety threats.

Constant Internet connectivity is often required for many robots to get software updates or to send and receive data. This connectivity leads to new safety challenges and cyber attack opportunities, and robot designers, system architects, and end users need to consider the safety and security of their machines to achieve widespread deployment and profitability.

We recently spoke with Nathan Bivans, CTO, FORT Robotics, about the current state of safety and security as it relates to robotics. FORT Robotics is a Philadelphia-based startup, founded in 2018, that develops proprietary hardware and a proprietary software platform to provide a protective layer of safety, security and control for any machine environment. FORT’s mission is to accelerate robotics development by mitigating risk and ensuring people stay safe from harm and in control of the machines.

We talked to Nathan about a number of topics, including:

• Assessing the risk factors in work environments that have a mix of humans and robots
• The role and development of safety and security standards
• The consequences of only relying on network security

Nathan’s background includes leading teams at Motorola USA and Apple Computer, degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and certification as a Machine Safety Expert CSME. FORT Robotics works with hundreds of customers, from Fortune 500 companies to startups in construction, agriculture, material handling, manufacturing, robotics and more. Listen to the interview with Nathan below and visit FORT Robotics to learn how to accelerate and scale your offering and ensure safety and security are not compromised.