Fortaco’s SmartCabin System bring the comfort and convenience of the automotive world to the off-highway industry. But it’s far more than an aesthetic plaything—it makes off-highway equipment more powerful and efficient.

If you happen to have driven a Hyundai Ioniq 5 or a Mercedes EQS, then you’ve experienced today’s state-of-the-art automotive interiors technology. The systems are veritable rabbit holes of customization options, enabling, for example, nearly endless interior brightness and lighting options. Torn between ocean blue or jungle green? No problem. The car can gradually shift between colors as you drive. Now imagine this experience – but the most powerful, practical parts of it – brought to the off-highway world. Fortaco is the first to offer it in a hardware-independent system.

Fortaco Cloud – connectivity to SmartCabin  

The automotive standard in off-highway. Fortaco SmartCabin is equipped with state-of-the-art automotive technology to benefit the off-highway industry. SmartCabin combines cloud connectivity, infotainment, cabin controls, HVAC, driver authentication, preventive maintenance, camera systems, and monitors in one easy-to-use package. “All of these things that you used to have to buy separately are now available in one package,” says Jussi Kangas, Fortaco’s Director for System Technology.

For Fortaco customers, the system means that moving cargo in a port gets a lot more efficient and a forklift driver’s work a whole lot more comfortable. “In a port you might have 10 operators per forklift,” says Kangas. “When an operator is identified by the machine, the electric seat moves to his preferred position. His radio stations are displayed. Machine-related parameters are activated to control how the vehicle reacts to his commands, such as the sensitivity of joysticks and what its movements mean. The navigation system, integrated with the terminal operating system or ERP, means the machine tells the driver where to pick up a pallet. He no longer wastes time looking for things in a crowded port.”

Safety, looks, luxury

Features can be broken down into the categories of safety, looks, and luxury.

Safety means detecting humans working around the vehicle, those a driver might not otherwise see, reducing lost time on a job site. It means the machine can maneuver better in tight environments, speeding work. An automated wiper system means better visibility, and customizable lighting means less stress on a driver’s eyes. The cloud connection means supervisors can monitor exactly how many hours a driver has worked, and there is integration with scheduling and fleet management systems. There’s a service connection for the machine control system, so tires are kept at the right pressure and oil changes are done on time. If the forklift is electric, compressor efficiency is monitored and maintenance is done before failure, preventing costly downtime.

When it comes to looks, the high-end automotive processors offer great graphics. “Aesthetics really matter,” says Kangas. “Some drivers may not care, but they’re very important for the manufacturer who has to sell the vehicle.

And luxury? Who could object to remote starting a vehicle to preheat it in a cold winter or pre-cool it in summer? “It does whatever you tell it to in a certain defined sequence,” says Kangas. “It’ll heat the steering wheel, the seat, defrost the windows, detect outside temperature and adjust cabin climate accordingly. The standard in the automotive industry is fast becoming the standard in off-highway.”

Beyond gains in safety and efficiency, Kangas notes that the system offers savings when it comes to hardware costs. “Since we’ve taken what used to be multiple systems and incorporated them into one, the hardware cost for all of this drops.” 

Manual switches coming back

If you’ve driven automobiles with these systems, then you know that sometimes it can be puzzling to find a basic feature that used to be operated with a simple switch. “Our team likes to talk about a new car where the glove box had to be opened by finding a button in a submenu,” laughs Kangas. “Some things are just a bad idea!”

Kangas says that each function must be analyzed, with consideration given to where a user would think to look for it, or whether we can automate the functionality. “Safety-related functions need direct, immediate access. What we’re seeing is that some of the manual switches are coming back, because they simply make sense.”

Fortaco SmartCabin – available now

There are, of course, other automated hardware solutions in the off-highway marketplace, but Fortaco SmartCabin is the only hardware-independent solution. SmartCabin is available for customers in spring 2025, with the first customer in the materials handling business.

It’s a natural solution in an industry where OEMs are more ready than ever to outsource areas of production outside their core competencies. “We’re seeing more and more that our customers view their business as moving tons of rock or cargo, rather than simply selling drilling machines or cranes,” says Kangas. “OEMs are keen on keeping their own designs for steel frames or booms, which is natural, but they are increasingly willing to outsource actions where companies like Fortaco can really add value.”

We are at bauma 2025 on April 7-13 in Munich

See Fortaco’s SmartCabin in action at Bauma 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines, construction vehicles and construction equipment. Visit us in hall A6, booth 225.