Caterpillar has expanded its partnership with Nvidia to bring AI-driven solutions to mining and construction operations, delivering next-generation tools for operators, dealers, and industry professionals. The collaboration focuses on enhancing machine intelligence, productivity, and safety while modernizing manufacturing and supply chain processes.
AI-Equipped Mining and Construction Machines
Using Nvidia’s Jetson Thor platform, Caterpillar is enabling real-time AI inference on Cat construction, mining, and power equipment. This technology lays the foundation for AI-assisted operations, intelligent in-cab experiences, and potentially autonomous machinery—all designed to help operators navigate complex and variable jobsite conditions more efficiently.
Key innovations include:
- In-cab AI features: Personalized coaching, productivity insights, and safety alerts to guide operators in real time.
- Autonomy at scale: AI-driven recommendations for excavators, haul trucks, dozers, and compactors, enabling smarter decision-making on the jobsite.
- Advanced machine intelligence: Fleets equipped with machine learning, computer vision, and edge computing, processing sensor data to act as a digital nervous system across operations.
At CES 2026, Caterpillar unveiled automated excavators, wheel loaders, haul trucks, dozers, and compactors, showcasing operator-free trenching, loading, grading, hauling, and rolling—technologies that can be transformative for large-scale mining operations like those on the Copperbelt.
Cat AI Assistant
Caterpillar also introduced the Cat AI Assistant, a voice-activated, in-cab assistant designed to answer operational questions, provide maintenance guidance, and deliver personalized equipment recommendations. Built with Nvidia Riva open speech models, it enables operators to troubleshoot, adjust settings, and access Cat resources using simple voice commands.
Transforming Manufacturing and Supply Chains
Beyond the mine, Caterpillar is deploying Nvidia AI Factory to automate key manufacturing and supply chain processes, including forecasting and scheduling. By leveraging AI, companies can accelerate production timelines, reduce downtime, and optimize resource allocation—benefits that can extend to Zambia’s mining and industrial sectors, where efficient supply chain management is critical.
Through this partnership, Caterpillar and Nvidia are bringing AI to the forefront of mining operations, demonstrating how intelligent machinery and digital tools can enhance productivity, safety, and operational efficiency on modern mines and industrial sites.
