Caterpillar Inc. has recently demonstrated the fully autonomous operation of its Cat 777 off-highway truck. The debut of this latest model of Cat MineStar Command for hauling at Luck Stone’s Bull Run plant in Chantilly, Virginia, marks a milestone in Caterpillar’s objective to deliver an autonomous hauling solution for the quarry and aggregates industry.
This marks Caterpillar’s first deployment of autonomous technology in the aggregates industry and will expand the company’s autonomous truck fleet to include the 100-ton-class Cat 777.
“Congratulations to both the Luck Stone and Caterpillar teams for this outstanding achievement. It’s meaningful not just for Bull Run operations, but for our customers of all sizes as we develop new technologies to serve the quarry and aggregates as well as construction industries,” Denise Johnson, group president of Caterpillar’s Resource Industries, said. “This hands-on collaboration has accelerated our ability to scale our proven mining solution for this sector.”
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The success of autonomous hauling at the Bull Run plant marks the initial milestone in the collaboration between Caterpillar and Luck Stone. This achievement lays the foundation for ongoing testing and validation of assumptions and technology before making autonomous technology commercially available in the aggregates industry.
“The successful implementation of an autonomous hauling solution at our Bull Run Plant is a major accomplishment for Luck Stone associates, for Caterpillar, and for our industry,” Charlie Luck, chairman and CEO, Luck Companies, said. “Our mission is to ignite human potential and positively impact the lives of others, and this project does just that by providing opportunities and experiences for our associates to grow and learn. Caterpillar’s innovative technology will also improve safety and be a tool for attracting the next generation of mining professionals. We’re excited for the future and what’s next for autonomy, and thankful for our continued, collaborative relationship with Caterpillar.”
