Automated Taxi Cleanliness via Sensor-Based Client Incentives

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automated-taxis face challenges in maintaining cleanliness due to objects left behind by previous clients, which can lead to an unsatisfactory experience for subsequent passengers and require effective methods to request assistance for removal or cleaning.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a perception-sensor to detect objects, a communication-device to convey cleaning requests to present clients, and a controller-circuit to operate the automated-taxi, which can request clients to remove or clean objects, offer incentives, and potentially divert to a cleaning facility, while tracking repeat offenders.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automated-taxis operate without manual cleaning between trips, then operational efficiency and productivity increase, but cleanliness maintenance deteriorates due to objects left by previous clients

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational efficiencyVSAvoidcleanliness maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses perception sensors to automatically detect objects left by previous clients and employs communication devices to request that current clients remove or clean these objects. This self-service mechanism maintains cleanliness without requiring manual cleaning between trips, thus preserving operational efficiency while solving the cleanliness problem.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the system requests present clients to clean objects, then cleanliness is maintained, but client satisfaction may worsen due to additional tasks required

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecleanlinessVSAvoidclient convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system converts the potential negative of requiring cleaning tasks into a positive by offering incentives such as fare reductions or credits to clients who comply with cleaning requests. This approach maintains cleanliness while compensating clients for the additional effort, thereby preserving client satisfaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the system bans repeat offenders, then cleanliness compliance improves, but loss of service revenue worsens due to fewer paying customers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleanliness complianceVSAvoidservice revenue

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism that tracks client cleaning compliance and provides targeted bans only to repeat offenders who consistently refuse cleaning requests. This selective approach maintains high cleanliness compliance among the majority of compliant clients while minimizing revenue loss by excluding only the small fraction of non-compliant repeat offenders.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11354692B2System and method for keeping an automated-taxi clean

Publication Date: 2022.06.07 MOTIONAL AD LLC

AI summary

A system for keeping an automated-taxi clean includes a perception-sensor, a communication-device, and a controller-circuit. The perception-sensor is operable to detect an object aboard an automated-taxi. The communication-device is operable to communicate with a present-client of the automated-taxi. The controller-circuit is in communication with the perception-sensor and the communication-device. The controller-circuit is configured to determine that the object was left by a prior-client of the automated-taxi, and operate the communication-device to convey to the present-client a cleaning-request to remove the object from the automated-taxi.