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CAT MineStar for Underground Research Center

CAT MineStar for Underground leverages Wi-Fi to coordinate the movements of people and equipment throughout underground spaces
Two side-by-side vehicles are parked on either side of a sign in an underground drift. The sign reads "CAT MineStar for Underground"

GPS has transformed the way humans navigate our world. But deep underground, GPS signals go quiet. This can make it difficult for people who work underground—in caves, mines, and science labs—to find their way. In an effort to replicate GPS deep underground, Caterpillar (CAT) built the CAT MineStarTM for Underground Research Center on the 1550 and 1700 Levels of SURF. 

CAT’s technology, CAT MineStarTM for Underground, leverages Wi-Fi to track and coordinate the safe movement of people and equipment through underground drifts and ramps. This technology is changing the way people and equipment navigate underground at locations around the world. 

Though SURF operates in a former gold mine, there is no mining allowed at the facility today. 

two speakers stand at the front of a room full of people

Deep Talks: MineStar for Underground

At the "Deep Talks: CAT MineStar for Underground" public presentation on March 9, 2023, Dan Pierce, CAT field operations manager, and Chris Gehner, business development manager, discussed this evolving technology and what engineers have learned since deploying it at SURF.