September 2, 2026 - Caterpillar is partnering with artificial intelligence company FieldAI to develop autonomous and robotic technologies aimed at improving safety and productivity across construction sites, mines and manufacturing facilities.

The collaboration will combine Caterpillar's industrial expertise, engineering capabilities and operational data with FieldAI's AI-powered robotics technology. The companies are targeting applications that can operate in complex industrial environments where conventional automation may be difficult to deploy.

The initiative comes as heavy industry faces persistent labor constraints and growing pressure to increase productivity. Caterpillar said physical AI — technology that allows machines and robotic systems to perceive and respond to real-world environments — could help workers make faster decisions while improving the efficiency of equipment and operations.

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

Early applications are expected to include autonomous inspections, digital twins of jobsites and manufacturing facilities, improved situational awareness and AI-assisted operational planning.

Digital twins could provide real-time views of equipment, infrastructure and other operations, while autonomous inspection systems could perform tasks in areas that may pose safety risks to workers. AI-based simulations and operational data could also be used to identify bottlenecks and improve workflow.

Caterpillar said the technology fits into its broader effort to develop increasingly connected and autonomous jobsites, combining intelligent equipment with digital systems and operational data.

The manufacturer selected FieldAI in part because its technology is designed to work across different types of robots and in changing industrial environments. FieldAI says its systems have been deployed at hundreds of sites worldwide.

The partnership will also use NVIDIA accelerated computing and Omniverse technology to develop high-fidelity digital twins based on operational data. Caterpillar said the technology could provide greater visibility into industrial sites and allow operators to make decisions more quickly.

The collaboration represents another step in Caterpillar's expansion of autonomous and AI-assisted technology across heavy industry. The company has increasingly focused on automation in mining, construction and manufacturing as customers seek to address workforce shortages, improve safety and extract greater productivity from equipment.

Caterpillar and FieldAI said their work will ultimately focus on deploying AI-powered machines alongside human workers rather than simply automating individual tasks, with the goal of creating safer and more efficient industrial operations.