Cat features autonomous tech at CES 2023

In contrast to the palm-sized gadgets and tiny wearables on display at one of the world’s largest tech shows – CES – Caterpillar’s massive 777 100-tonne mining truck is the key attraction of the brand’s exhibit this year, as it showcases its Minestar Command autonomous technology and how it has made mining safer and more efficient.

The CES 2023 is running from January 5 to 8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, USA.

According to Caterpillar, its Minestar Command technology and fleet of autonomous trucks have hauled more than 5 billion tonnes of material in the last nine years. Currently, there are about 560 trucks around the world equipped with Minestar Command that each day travel a distance equivalent to twice the Earth’s circumference without a driver, it adds.

“CES, the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators, is the ideal place for us to showcase our high-tech leadership,” says Denise Johnson, group president of Caterpillar Resource Industries.

“People have seen us as an equipment company for more than a century, and they are now realising that we are a high-tech company as well.”

Senior Vice President of Caterpillar Resource Industries, Marc Cameron, adds: “We help miners unearth materials found in everything from the smartphone displays to batteries for electric vehicles that are exhibited at CES. Caterpillar and our diverse team of talented people are making a positive impact on our world, and CES gives us a platform to showcase our people and growth opportunities within the company.”

Beyond autonomous haulage, the company is showcasing construction and mining safety, fleet management technologies, equipment health options, high-precision guidance technologies and material tracking solutions at its roughly 585sqm exhibit.

“Our technologies are changing the world by advancing autonomy, finding new ways to keep people safe, improving fleet productivity and building solutions that manage every aspect of an operation,” Tony Fassino, group president of Caterpillar Construction Industries adds.

“In addition to the fully autonomous mining trucks, we offer solutions that automate and provide remote operation of dozers, wheel loaders, excavators, and skid steer and compact track loaders. Along with the productivity and safety benefits, automation is another way we can contribute to helping our customers build a better, more sustainable world.”

The exhibit’s centerpiece, the autonomous Cat 777 truck, dwarfs the vehicles in nearby automotive displays. Like autonomous cars, autonomous mining and construction vehicles operate without a driver on board. Further, autonomous mining trucks operate 24/7 in some of the most extreme environments and safely navigate where there are no lane markings to follow.

There are four themed experiences that help guide attendees through the booth.

Attendees can stand inside the 777’s truck bed and experience the impact Cat technologies are making in the mining and construction industries. iPad stations will offer an augmented reality experience with each iPad focusing on a different subject. They include:

Cat Command technologies are featured in real time, using two remote operating stations connected to equipment hundreds of miles away. One station remotely operates a Cat large dozer, while the second – a single universal station that can operate multiple types of Cat construction equipment – is remotely connected to a Cat excavator. Caterpillar experts are on hand to help attendees learn more about these technologies.

Attendees can also learn how Caterpillar is expanding autonomy to help lead the energy transformation, launching multiple initiatives with customers to develop battery electric vehicles.

“The next frontier for autonomy is helping mines manage power needs as more assets require electricity to operate,” Johnson says.

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