Recreating an accurate, scaled-up Pac-Man gameboard out of earth would, just a few years ago, have required mapping and staking out of the ground in advance, followed by slow and laborious excavation, which would have totalled hundreds of hours work. But, by using the latest Cat Grade with 3D system, a team at Caterpillar were able to perform this unusual task (for Cat Trail #9) without any ground marks or stakes, in just 70 hours.
The Cat Grade with 3D technology allowed the Pac-Man gameboard design to be loaded onto on a Cat 336 Next Gen excavator, eliminating the need for stakes and grade checkers, saving time in the construction. Roughly 6,880 square yards (195 square metres) of cut/fill dirt was removed to build the maze that was comprised of 151 corners and 4-ft-tall (1.2-m) walls. A typical house basement contains only 4-8 corners.
Support equipment to construct the gameboard, also using Cat Grade with 3D to ensure they followed the same plan, included multiple field prep Cat dozers, Cat wheel loaders, a 323 excavator, trucks and water wagons.
“Cat Grade with 3D enabled the workers to only handle material one time for digging, loading, hauling and dumping,” explains J. Archie Lyons, creative director, global brand strategy and activation for Caterpillar. “Reducing material handling is just one of the challenges our customers face, and Cat Grade technology greatly enhances jobsite efficiency.”
Once the gameboard was fully constructed, five Cat 236D3 skid steers where remotely controlled around it in a mock-up game of the arcade classic, to make the final Cat Trial #9 video.
