Caterpillar Expands NVIDIA Partnership to Power Autonomy and Virtual Manufacturing

• Caterpillar is expanding its partnership with NVIDIA to bring AI to its machines, operator systems, and manufacturing operations.
• The partnership enables real-time autonomy on equipment and digital factory simulations for faster, safer, and more adaptive production.

Caterpillar has expanded its partnership with NVIDIA to apply AI across its core operations, including connected machines, autonomous systems, voice interfaces, and manufacturing infrastructure. The collaboration spans NVIDIA Jetson Thor for real-time machine intelligence, NVIDIA Riva for in-cab voice interaction, and NVIDIA Omniverse and AI Factory platforms for virtual simulation and production optimization.

“For a century, Caterpillar has built the industrial machines that shaped the world, said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, in a new release. “In the age of AI, NVIDIA and Caterpillar are partnering across the full spectrum – from autonomous construction fleets to the AI data centers powering the next industrial revolution.”

Caterpillar is outfitting its construction, mining, and power equipment with NVIDIA Jetson Thor to run AI models directly on the machine. These systems can process billions of sensor inputs in milliseconds, enabling real-time recommendations and autonomous behaviors in complex and variable job site conditions. Machines can interpret their surroundings, adjust to changes, and make decisions without needing to connect to the cloud. Caterpillar is also adding in-cab support tools that assist human operators with coaching, safety alerts, and productivity insights during active use.

In manufacturing, Caterpillar is building digital twins of its factories using NVIDIA Omniverse and OpenUSD. Teams use these digital twins to test and refine factory layouts and processes before making changes on the ground. Caterpillar is also applying NVIDIA’s AI Factory tools to speed up production planning, from forecasting to scheduling and supply chain management.

🌀 Tom’s Take:

Caterpillar is building its physical operations on top of NVIDIA’s full AI stack. Autonomy, voice control, and factory simulation now run on the same integrated platform.

Source: Caterpillar