FORT Robotics launches Wireless E-Stop Pro safety-certified wearable device

FORT Robotics, a developer of safe control technologies for robots and mobile machines, launched the Wireless E-Stop Pro.

The company said its new safety-certified wearable device is designed to prevent accidents and maximize uptime across modern machine worksites worldwide.

Wireless safety in the operator’s hand

As industries adopt more mobile and autonomous machines across their operations, FORT Robotics said that legacy safety technologies such as fixed emergency stop buttons are becoming less effective. The company said its Wireless E-Stop Pro puts fail-safe control directly in the operator's hand by allowing users to send a certified stop command to a machine from up to 200m away, ensuring that safety moves at the speed of the modern jobsite.

“Safety shouldn’t be a restraint on productivity; it should be the catalyst for it,” says Amod Damle, head of product at FORT Robotics. “With the Wireless E-Stop Pro, we’ve eliminated the compromise between risk and throughput. Whether it’s worn as a wearable or configured for a unique environment, this is about providing people with absolute peace of mind. We are redefining the relationship between human and machine, giving operators the green light to move at full speed and the power to dominate their workflows with total flexibility.”

Safety for challenging environments

FORT Robotics said that the Wireless E-Stop Pro evolves its industry-standard technology to meet the demands of global distribution and modern worksites: 

• Built for dense radio environments: Featuring advanced long-range Bluetooth communications, the company said its Pro model is engineered to maintain a rock-solid connection even in warehouses and plants crowded with competing radio signals. This allows users to operate multiple systems simultaneously with minimal risk of signal drops.
• Certified for global deployment: Globally compatible Bluetooth communication makes it easier for OEMs to deploy a single machine in multiple countries, according to FORT Robotics. The product also features regulatory certifications for use in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia.
• Safety integrity: The Pro model is 3rd-party certified to Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 3 per IEC 61508. FORT Robotics added that this rigorous certification ensures high levels of validated safety and reliability for mission-critical operations.
• Reliable control in any condition: Combines a 200m wireless range with a rugged IP65-rated enclosure for dependable performance in harsh environments. The company said the integrated status display provides operators with instant, high-visibility feedback on system health and connectivity.

FORT Robotics said that the Wireless E-Stop Pro is the latest addition to the company’s FORT Pro Series, an ecosystem of control technologies designed to accelerate the safe deployment of smart machines.

It communicates with FORT’s Endpoint Controller receiver, and can be used in combination with the Safe Remote Control Pro, as well as the FORT Manager cloud application for device management and configuration.