Vehicle Cabin Imaging for Remote Cleanliness Scoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
In shared mobility systems, determining the cleanliness of vehicle interiors is challenging due to the remote location of operators, leading to inefficient and costly in-person inspections, as users often leave vehicles in varying states of cleanliness, affecting user experience and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-mounted imaging system using computer vision and machine learning to assess the cleanliness of interior segments, generating scores based on occlusion metrics, and wirelessly transmitting data for automated decision-making on vehicle availability and cleaning needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If representatives of a mobility company perform in-person visual inspection of shared vehicles to determine cleanliness, then measurement precision of cleanliness state is improved, but loss of time and operational cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of in-person visual inspection by representatives with an automated electronic inspection system. The system uses image capture devices (cameras) mounted on the vehicle interior to automatically capture images, and a processing system with machine learning models to analyze these images and determine cleanliness state. This substitution eliminates the need for physical presence of inspectors while maintaining or improving detection accuracy through consistent, objective image analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle inspection system operates autonomously without requiring external inspectors. The image capture devices automatically trigger when the vehicle is locked after use, and the processing system automatically analyzes the captured images to determine cleanliness. The system serves itself by performing the entire inspection process - from image capture to analysis to cleanliness determination - without human intervention, thereby eliminating time loss associated with manual inspections.
2Measurement precision
If representatives of a mobility company perform in-person visual inspection of shared vehicles to determine cleanliness, then measurement precision of cleanliness state is improved, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of in-person visual inspection by representatives with an automated electronic inspection system. The system uses image capture devices (cameras) mounted on the vehicle interior to automatically capture images, and a processing system with machine learning models to analyze these images and determine cleanliness state. This substitution eliminates the need for physical presence of inspectors while maintaining or improving detection accuracy through consistent, objective image analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates visual copies (images) of the vehicle interior state using mounted cameras. These image copies are then transmitted to a processing system that analyzes them to determine cleanliness. Instead of physically inspecting the vehicle, the system works with digital copies of the interior, which can be analyzed remotely and repeatedly without additional cost. This copying approach enables accurate assessment without the ongoing operational costs of deploying inspectors.
3Reliability
If shared vehicle interiors are monitored for cleanliness, then user experience is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional monitoring systems
Solution Approach 1:
The image capture devices and processing system serve multiple functions: they capture vehicle interior images for cleanliness assessment, identify the user who last used the vehicle through image analysis, and determine whether cleaning is needed. By making the inspection system multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate systems for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while improving reliability and user experience through comprehensive monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that acts as a mediator between the image capture devices and the cleanliness determination. The processing system receives images from the cameras, applies machine learning analysis, and outputs cleanliness assessments. This intermediary layer simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing the analysis function and providing a clear interface between data capture and decision-making, thereby managing device complexity while enabling reliable monitoring.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of operating a vehicle including a cabin having a plurality of interior segments, includes generating image data for each interior segment of the plurality of interior segments with an imaging device located within the cabin. The method further includes processing the generated image data to generate score data including a plurality of scores with a controller operably connected to the imaging device, each score of the plurality of scores corresponding to one of the interior segments of the plurality of interior segments, and combining the generated scores into a single vehicle cleanliness score. The method also includes generating availability data indicating if the vehicle is available or unavailable based on a comparison of the cleanliness score to a cleanliness threshold, and removing the vehicle from service based on the availability data.