At the 2026 edition of CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the construction industry’s biggest show of the year in Las Vegas, Caterpillar Inc. showcased how it is helping customers solve their toughest challenges through advanced technology, service solutions, and new products that improve productivity, enhance safety, and address labor shortages.

“As jobsites become more complex, we’re rapidly innovating to simplify how our customers operate and grow—at any scale,” said Caterpillar CEO Joe Creed. “This week, we’re demonstrating how a single platform connects the entire operation—empowering customers with AI and autonomy, redefining service and investing in the people doing the work every day.”

For one of the show’s headlining keynotes, Construction Industries Group President Rod Shurman, Chief Technology Officer Jaime Mineart, and Chief Digital Officer Ogi Redzic spotlighted how Caterpillar is tackling the industry’s toughest challenges, pushing boundaries, and shaping the future of construction.

“Caterpillar is focused on the challenges customers are dealing with right now: labor, safety, and productivity,” said Shurman. “From AI and autonomy in action to full-fleet connectivity to services commitments, everything we’re showing is built to work where and when customers need it most, whether it’s on the job, in the shop, or at the office.”

Construction’s toughest challenges—a persistent labor shortage, rising safety demands, and the pressure to do more with less—are driving a fundamental shift in how jobsites operate, according to Caterpillar. At CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026, the company showcased “intelligent solutions” designed to address those challenges with technology that works on real jobsites and integrates with how customers already operate.

One of those key solutions is VisionLink, the flagship application in Caterpillar’s technology portfolio, designed to unify fleet data and operational analytics to deliver actionable insights, enabling customers to maximize the value of their assets and technology investments. With data from about 1.6 million connected assets in the field built on Caterpillar’s equipment expertise, the platform grows smarter as more assets come online.

Among the latest VisionLink updates featured at the show was full fleet management capabilities through a new relationship with Geotab Inc., which links to on- and off-highway assets for a single view of customers’ entire fleet. Enhanced safety monitoring tracks leading indicators such as machine overspeed events and seat belt usage, giving customers visibility to identify and address high-risk conditions before incidents occur. Integrated video playback enables event review to improve customer awareness and training in real‑world circumstances.

 

AI, autonomy, and precision on the jobsite

Another intelligent solution is the new Cat AI Assistant, pitched by the company as an easier way for customers to buy, maintain, manage, and operate their equipment on and off the jobsite. It draws from Caterpillar data, including connected assets, operation and maintenance manuals, parts catalogs, and purchase history, to provide personalized insights and recommendations.

Featured at CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the AI assistant is now available out of the cab, helping customers on existing Cat platforms and applications. An in-cab Cat AI Assistant prototype was also showcased, marking what the company calls a major step forward for Industrial AI.

“The Cat AI Assistant will be a copilot in the cab, a diagnostic partner in the shop, and actionable intelligence in the office,” said Redzic. ”It’s designed to help customers improve productivity, efficiency, and safety. And it will keep getting better, as it constantly learns and gains new capabilities.”

The in-cab Cat AI Assistant leverages Nvidia’s platform to run speech recognition and advanced AI models to assist with directing the machine. For an operator, it can act as a coach when prompted, providing operators with information to work smarter and safer without switching screens, returning to the yard, or losing focus.

At CES 2026 in January, Caterpillar announced it is using Nvidia’s Jetson Thor platform to enable real-time AI inference on Cat construction, mining, and power equipment, laying the foundation for next-generation autonomy and intelligent in-cab experiences. The AI assistant is built using Nvidia’s Riva open speech models to deliver leading accuracy and lifelike voices, answer questions, and provide personalized recommendations on equipment, parts, and maintenance.

On jobsites, blind spots behind machines remain one of the most persistent safety risks. Caterpillar’s new collision mitigation system is an operator-assist feature designed to address that challenge. It enhances situational awareness when reversing by detecting people and obstacles across three proximity-based zones behind the machine using an integrated sensor array. Beyond visual and audible alerts, the system can inhibit machine motion and enable automatic emergency braking, actively intervening to help reduce struck-by incidents.

Event data, safety trends, and video playback feed into VisionLink, giving managers visibility into jobsite risk patterns over time.

Cat Grade delivers accurate, consistent grading using advanced sensors and automated controls for both 2D and 3D applications, reducing the need for manual staking and survey crews. The system works with Trimble, Topcon, and Leica systems and can be installed on other machine brands. Available for dozers, excavators, and motor graders, it integrates with VisionLink to enable remote file delivery, drone survey integration, and productivity tracking.

 

Expanded Command capabilities

Caterpillar has been a pioneer in autonomy for more than thirty years, starting in mining, where remote and hazardous environments demanded innovative approaches to safety and productivity. That expertise has been applied to a spectrum of functions from on-machine assist and detection features that build operator confidence, remote and semi-autonomous operations through Cat Command, and coordinated autonomous tasks with site-level supervision.

“Our customers need to get more done, safely, with fewer experienced operators,” said Mineart. “Our portfolio meets them where they are—whether that’s grade assist on a single machine or remote operation at scale—and every solution builds on their existing investments.”

For customers looking to better protect operators from hazardous conditions while maintaining full control of their work, Cat Command allows operators to control heavy equipment from a safe distance using either line-of-sight or non-line-of-sight controls. The system includes semi-autonomous functions like auto-dig, auto-dump, and automated grading. It now covers an expanded range of equipment, with capabilities from remote control through semi-autonomous and autonomous-ready functions for wheel loaders and dozers.

At CONEXPO-CON/AGG, attendees could see what that looks like in practice. Inside Caterpillar’s Performance Center in Operator Stadium, a customer operated two Cat 938 wheel loaders, located in Naples and Punta Gorda, FL, from the show floor. A Command Station lets attendees remotely operate a Cat 745 articulated truck, part of the most complete Command portfolio ever shown for the construction industry. And in Operator Stadium, semi-autonomous compaction was running live on the Cat CS12 single drum roller.