CAT MineStar Center

CAT MineStar for Underground leverages Wi-Fi to coordinate the movements of people and equipment throughout underground spaces

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 a testbed on the 1550 and 1700 Levels of SURF. CAT’s technology, CAT MineStar^TM for Underground, leverages Wi-Fi to coordinate safe movements through underground drifts and ramps.

“This technology is helping us livestream communications and actively track people, vehicles and production,” said Dan Pierce, CAT field operations manager.