Caterpillar Turns to Nvidia to Add AI “Copilots” to Heavy Machinery in Its Latest Automation Push

Caterpillar is getting more serious about automation and AI, and this time it’s doing it with help from Nvidia. Their latest idea is to put AI tools directly into construction machines so workers can get help without stopping what they’re doing.

The first test of this idea is a system called Cat AI. Caterpillar is trying it out on its Cat 306 CR Mini Excavator, and it’s being shown this week at CES. The system runs on Nvidia’s Jetson Thor platform and works like an assistant that lives inside the machine.

More specifically, Cat AI can answer questions, pull up manuals, give safety tips, and help schedule maintenance. All of that happens while the operator stays in the cab. There’s no need to step away, grab a laptop, or make a phone call back to the office. The goal is to keep work moving and cut down on delays.

That approach fits how Caterpillar’s customers actually work. As Brandon Hootman, the company’s vice president of data and AI, put it, these operators aren’t sitting at desks all day… they’re out on jobsites. Giving them useful info right when they need it can make a real difference.

On top of that, Caterpillar is using this partnership to do more with the data its machines already collect. The company is testing “digital twins,” which are basically virtual copies of construction sites, using Nvidia’s Omniverse tools. These let teams test schedules, plan material needs, and see how a job might run before work even starts. Caterpillar says its machines already send back about 2,000 data messages every second, which gives it plenty to work with.

It’s also worth noting that this isn’t Caterpillar’s first step into automation. The company already runs fully autonomous vehicles in mining. Bringing assistive AI into construction is a slower, more careful move… one that helps customers now while opening the door to more advanced tech later.

For Nvidia, this partnership lines up with its push into what it calls “physical AI,” meaning AI that works in real-world machines, not only in computers or servers. Nvidia wants its chips and software powering everything from robots to vehicles to heavy equipment.

For Caterpillar, the focus right now is practical. These early tests are about solving everyday problems, saving time, and making machines easier to use. If that works, this kind of AI could become a normal part of Caterpillar’s equipment in the years ahead.

At the time of publishing this article, Stocks.News doesn’t hold positions in companies mentioned in the article.