Cat Command for Construction received gold in the “Smart Tools for Productivity – Living and Working Environments” category from the Edison Awards.
The safety benefits of remote control have won over more than just owners and operators of construction equipment, as evidenced by this year’s Edison Awards program. Caterpillar announced it won gold in the Productivity Tools – Living and Working Environment category for its Cat Command for Construction system.
The Edison Awards, named for Thomas Alva Edison, have honored the most innovative products, services and business leaders worldwide since 1987.
“We were very impressed with the level of collaboration and discovery in this year’s entries,” said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of Edison Universe. “Somehow, faced with the unprecedented challenges of this global pandemic, companies around the world have figured out how to operate safely and intelligently while innovating at an award-winning level.”
Fred Rio, Caterpillar Construction Digital & Technology’s global product manager, credits the award-winning innovation as a company-wide achievement. “We are honored that the Edison Awards judging panel of more than 3,000 senior executives and scientists selected Cat Command as the gold recipient,” he said. “I’m very proud of how talented employees across the enterprise have rallied around Cat Command’s vision, and I thank them for their commitment to innovation and hard work on a solution that significantly adds value for customers.”
The Cat Command system, developed from more than 30 years of autonomous equipment experience, is designed to remove the operator from the machine for safe operation in hazardous areas. Removing the user from the cab also eliminates machine vibration, reducing operator fatigue.
The product range includes compaction, bulldozing, excavation and loading offerings, each available with a portable remote station or command post.
The remote station keeps the operator out of the machine’s cab while maintaining deep integration with machine functions. Companies can easily and efficiently switch between remote and manual operation of equipment.
The universal command station includes a “virtual cab” with the ability for a single operator to switch machines and jobsites at the touch of a button and maneuver up to five different machines, one at a time, increasing operational efficiency and reducing travel time and cost. . remote control can be performed from the comfort of an air-conditioned office thousands of miles away from the project site, increasing productivity and reducing the risk of workplace injuries and accidents related to overwork.
The technology also helps address current and future labor shortages by expanding the pool of potential operators. “Cat Command offers a solution to the labor shortage by opening up opportunities for people with disabilities, keeping them out of the equipment, attracting a new generation of workers and increasing the longevity of experienced operators,” said Rio.