Caterpillar and Nvidia expand AI collaboration for industry.

Caterpillar announced the expansion of its collaboration with Nvidia, focusing on the development of artificial intelligence and robotics-based solutions for heavy industry. The initiative involves the application of AI to construction, mining, and energy equipment, as well as industrial and logistics processes, with the goal of increasing operational efficiency, safety, and automation capabilities.

According to the company, the partnership foresees the use of the Nvidia Jetson Thor platform to enable real-time AI inference in Caterpillar machines, creating a foundation for assisted and, in the future, autonomous operations. The technology is expected to be applied to equipment operating in complex environments with a large volume of data generated by sensors.

Among the anticipated applications are operator support features within the cabin, such as productivity recommendations, safety alerts, and real-time guidance, as well as systems capable of analyzing large volumes of data in milliseconds to support navigation and decision-making in construction and mining operations.

During CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Caterpillar presented the Cat AI Assistant, a digital assistant integrated into the company's embedded systems and digital platforms. Developed with Nvidia voice models, the feature allows interaction via voice commands for configuration adjustments, diagnostics, maintenance guidance, and access to technical information about machines and parts. The system uses data from the Helios platform, Caterpillar's unified information environment.

The collaboration also extends to industrial operations. Caterpillar reported that it is using the Nvidia AI Factory infrastructure to automate and optimize manufacturing and supply chain processes, with applications in forecasting, scheduling, and production planning. In addition, the company has been developing digital twins of its factories using the Nvidia Omniverse and OpenUSD libraries, allowing for layout and process simulations before physical implementation.

According to the companies, the goal is to create an industrial ecosystem based on artificial intelligence capable of integrating machines, production systems, and logistics, keeping pace with the ongoing technological transformations in heavy industry.