Immersive Technologies has advanced its strategy to support the mining industry in reducing operational risk and skills shortages. This has been achieved via the release of the Cat 795F AC Mining Truck Conversion Kit® for the industry-leading, Immersive Technologies' open-cut simulators, including the PRO3. Karen Joseph, Product Manager said: “This project has been driven as part of Immersive Technologies' collaboration with Caterpillar, which focused on releasing training simulators alongside or shortly after Caterpillar's release date of the model simulated. We are excited that the first 795F AC Conversion Kit will be shipped to a Cat dealer to aid in the rollout and delivery of operator training for the Cat 795F AC.”

For those unfamiliar with the Cat 795F AC, it is a completely new truck model for Caterpillar, filling the gap between the 793F and 797F mechanical-drive trucks and providing a Cat truck for every customer preference. Available in electric drive only, it has a payload of 345 short tons. The truck has an integrated AC drive system that has been developed by Caterpillar and is fully supported by Caterpillar and Cat dealers.

Under an agreement between Caterpillar and Immersive Technologies, Immersive Technologies is exclusively provided with confidential machine technical information and data that is necessary to simulate Cat machines. This proprietary information is not available or accessible to any other advanced simulator vendor.

Extensive collaboration directly with Caterpillar engineers in the development of the 795F AC Conversion Kit® has facilitated a high level of accuracy and training effectiveness, as required by operations that are seeking more effective management of operator availability and risk. As an example, the high level of fidelity inherent in the 795F AC Conversion Kit®, is evidenced by the utilization of the instrumentation panel and Advisor display from the real truck, using both hardware and software supplied by Caterpillar. Furthermore, simulated machine behaviors experienced during the execution of new safe operating procedures, such as starting on an incline and responding to new machine monitoring system warnings, are meticulously modeled and simulated as per the real machine. The correct operating procedures are tightly integrated with an extensive learning system within the PRO3, which has been repeatedly demonstrated via in-field measurement to provide rapid, correct and effective learning and assessment.

This new development highlights Immersive Technologies' ongoing approach to investing in solutions for mining with a focus on driving customer safety and profitability using industry leading technology, extensive mining experience and close collaboration with both customers and major mining equipment manufacturers.