This audio is automatically generated. Please let us know if you have any comments.
Dive Brief:
- Manufacturer of heavy equipment Caterpillar has partnered with FieldAIspecializing in physical artificial intelligence for robots, to advance automation in its catalog of machines, according to an announcement on Wednesday.
- Caterpillar aims to combine its construction industry expertise and operational data with FieldAI’s robot-based models to enable builders to operate machines autonomously on their jobsites, according to the announcement. Companies will focus on applications linked to security, productivity and efficiency.
- The partnership builds on a growing appetite for robotics in construction along with Caterpillar’s commitments to innovation in the space. At this year’s CES conference, the company introduced a line of smart machines which included excavators, loaders and bulldozers.
Diving knowledge:
Some of the first applications of the partnership between Caterpillar and FieldAI include autonomous inspections, digital twins of facilities and workplaces, and improved situational awareness to help identify potential hazards sooner, according to the announcement.
The couple cemented their partnership amid a wave of robotic technology in the workplace. Over the past year, a group of construction companies and manufacturers have tested new technology solutions on their construction sites. Take Bedrock Robotics, for example, which autonomous excavators deployed at the sites of builders Zachry Construction and Sundt Construction.
In this case, Caterpillar selected FieldAI for the partnership as a result of the technology company’s ability to deploy its robots in complex industrial environments such as construction sites. Some of the main knocks against robotics in construction include a They struggle to adapt to workplaceswhere conditions can vary greatly from day to day, along with the inability of contractors to take advantage of proprietary data.
With FieldAI, however, Caterpillar says the startup can use its robot-independent grounding and autonomy models to turn that data into something actionable.
“The future of our industries will be shaped by how effectively we combine human expertise with AI-powered machines,” said Jaime Mineart, Caterpillar’s chief technology officer, in the announcement.
