Caterpillar and FieldAI target AI-powered jobsites

Caterpillar is working with artificial intelligence and robotics company FieldAI to develop autonomous jobsite and factory technology. Image: Caterpillar

The collaboration will focus on physical AI, autonomy and robotics for use in construction, mining and manufacturing environments.

Caterpillar said the work is intended to help jobsites and factories operate more safely and efficiently by turning real-time observations into information that can improve decision-making.

“The future of our industries will be shaped by how effectively we combine human expertise with AI-powered machines,” said Jaime Mineart, Caterpillar chief technology officer.

“Collaborations like this help accelerate the journey. We’re focused on applying AI where it matters most, helping customers improve safety, increase productivity and get more value from every operation.”

Earlier this year at CES, Caterpillar shared its vision for the ‘jobsite of the future’, based on intelligent machines, connected workflows and digital insights.

The company said its collaboration with FieldAI would combine Caterpillar’s industry expertise, engineering capabilities and operational data with FieldAI’s AI-enabled robot foundation models.

Early applications include autonomous inspections to improve safety and operational visibility, as well as jobsite and facility digital twins that provide real-time insights into equipment, infrastructure and operations.

Other potential uses include enhanced situational awareness to help identify risks earlier, and operational optimisation using simulation, automation and AI-driven insights.

FieldAI’s technology includes robot-agnostic autonomy and foundation models that can turn large volumes of operational and jobsite data into usable insights.

Ali Agha, founder and CEO of FieldAI, said, “This collaboration brings leading physical AI capabilities to a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment. Together, we are shaping the next century of AI-enabled heavy industry.”

The companies said the work would also use NVIDIA accelerated computing, NVIDIA Omniverse technologies and high-fidelity digital twins built from operational data.

Caterpillar said the aim is to improve site visibility, speed up decision-making and support the next generation of industrial operations