Caterpillar Inc. has acquired Skycatch Inc., a provider of spatial data capture, processing and analysis solutions for the mining industry. The move follows Caterpillar's recent acquisition of RPMGlobal (RPM) and aims to expand the company’s portfolio of data-driven mining technology solutions focused on material movement optimization.
By integrating high-resolution spatial data into RPM and MineStar solutions, Caterpillar intends to improve mine site performance through enhanced safety, productivity and predictability for both staffed and autonomous fleets.
"Acquiring Skycatch aligns with our strategy to solve our customers’ toughest challenges," said Denise Johnson, group president of Caterpillar Resource Industries. "By integrating near-real-time, high-resolution spatial data into both RPM and MineStar solutions, we can help customers improve mine site performance by enhancing safety, productivity and predictability across their operations."
Skycatch’s technology captures high-frequency, high-precision and large-scale spatial data. This is paired with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities designed to identify, measure and interact with data to deliver improved operational performance. The system provides mining customers with a more current view of operations, intended to improve the speed and accuracy of decision-making.
The technology generates a near-real-time digital twin of the mining site, which can be integrated directly into existing software solutions. This allows customers to incorporate current data into planning and execution workflows to reduce delays and improve daily operations.
"Skycatch’s ability to process large volumes of spatial data at dramatically improved speeds opens up a fundamentally different way of operating," said Richard Mathews, CEO of RPMGlobal. "With a near real-time spatial view of the operation, miners can adjust plans as conditions change, improve alignment between planning and execution and deliver more predictable outcomes."
Christian Sanz, founder and CEO of Skycatch, stated that the acquisition strengthens the company's ability to support its customers while increasing the value it can deliver within the Caterpillar ecosystem.
