Cat Command, Caterpillar’s remote machine operation tool, can boost safety and operator productivity as well as address on-site labour shortages
On the job, you have heard (or even said) “I can’t do two things at once.” Now, Cat Command is making that idiom obsolete.
Cat Command is a line of remote control and semi-autonomous technologies, ranging from operator-assisted compaction to remote control loading, dozing and excavating operations.
Drawing from more than 30 years of equipment autonomy experience, Cat Command helps to enhance safety and increase productivity for a variety of applications — two common challenges Caterpillar hears about from its customers.
“Jobsites have similar challenges. It’s true today and it’s true tomorrow. The first thing that we’ve noticed is that customers consistently tell us about safety,” said Chih Liang, Vice President of Caterpillar. “The second thing that we’ve heard a lot about is labour shortages. It’s more and more difficult to find heavy equipment operators.”
Command options
Caterpillar offers two types of Cat Command. The Command Console is a portable, lightweight system that allows the operator to work outside of the cab while remaining on site if they can maintain a direct visual contact with the machine. The Command Console is ideal for short-term work and requires no on-site communication infrastructure.
“Think of an operator working so he can watch the machine, but not physically be in the machine, with essentially a remote control at his waistband,” said Dan Wawerski, western Canada Region Manager for Caterpillar’s Construction Industry Technology Team. “This allows the operator to be removed from the hazard. It’s actually very simple operation.”
The Command Station offers the flexibility of being located onsite for line-of-sight operation or positioned far away for non-line-of-sight applications. The station includes a modular, customized virtual cab, where the user is comfortably seated in front of machine controls similar to those inside the operator’s cab.
“You can be five miles away, 500 miles away or 5,000 miles away in a station in an air-conditioned room,” Wawerski said.
Operate multiple machines
Offering an improved working environment, the Command Station allows users to work for longer periods of time without fatigue.As well, one user can remotely operate multiple machines, one at a time, from a single station.
A single user can also quickly control multiple machines, one at a time, on different jobsite locations without travelling from the office to the machine, significantly improving operating efficiency and reducing travel time and costs.
“You’re able to run a machine in one location, and with the flip of a switch, be completely on the other side of the world,” Wawerski said.
The Command Station also enables operation of several types of machines from the same virtual cab.
“That station is designed to work with multiple different types of equipment, so one station can run multiple different machine types,” Wawerski said. “You run a dozer and an excavator from the same station. That’s the technology that we have.”
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One of Caterpillar’s customers is operating a 10-machine fleet from eight Command Stations. The site has gone completely remote.
“There’s not a single operator working on their jobsite in a cab. It’s pretty remarkable,” Wawerski said. “They’re looking to make another site completely remote, which is going to be much larger. They’re talking 21 machines with 12 to 15 stations.”
The virtual cab, which can be located in any setting, also expands machine operation to a larger pool of potential operators, as it offers easy access to accommodate those with physical limitations.
Another productivity enhancement is the ability to continue production immediately following a disruptive process, like blasting, to increase machine productivity. Cat Command also helps reduce work disruptions due to weather conditions or non-production related issues to improve machine uptime.
Safety
Using either the Command Station or Command Console, remote control provides full machine maneuverability from a safe distance when working in potentially hazardous environments.
By removing the user from the cab, it also eliminates machine vibration feedback felt by the operator, reducing fatigue.
WM (formerly Waste Management) is using Command Stations at a chemical site in eastern Oregon. Before adopting remote control operation, operators were required to wear Tyvek suits and respirators to protect themselves while working in the dusty, hazardous environment.
“How hard do you think it is to get an operator to jump in that cab and wear a respirator all day long. Pretty hard, right?” Wawerski said.
“You could tell them, all you have do is walk through that office door, put your lunch box down on the floor and you can run. That’s what this technology allows you to do.”
The Command system itself is equipped with safety enhancing features. To ensure the operator is always in control, integrated Cat electronics activate several features to stop all machine movements if the all-stop switch is pressed; command stop is activated; wireless communication is lost; a severe fault is detected; or the Command console is tilted more than 45 degrees from normal operating position.
Integration
The hardware required for setting up Command includes dealer-installed indicator lights, receivers, harnesses, cameras and mounting hardware kits, all of which are machine-specific.
Cat Command Console and Station controls are fully integrated with the machines’ electronic and hydraulic systems for quick response and smooth control.
Operating commands are sent directly to the machine’s electronics through a dedicated radio transmitter/receiver, resulting in real-time control.
Since the system is a dealer-installed kit fully designed and integrated into the machine, not an aftermarket add-on, Cat Command can be quickly switched between similar machines to give the customer increased machine flexibility.
“There’s not much outside of a few remote-control components that are needed to make this work,” Wawerski said.
