Systems and methods for automatically cleaning wheels

A method of cleaning a wheel, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal, by a module from a foreign matter detector coupled to a structure having the wheel, the signal indicative of possible foreign matter present on the wheel;
• determining from the signal that foreign matter is present on the wheel;
• and
• directing a cleaning device coupled to the structure and adjacent to the wheel without contacting the wheel to remove the foreign matter from the wheel without contacting the wheel wherein the module is communicatively coupled to the foreign matter detector and the cleaning device.

A system for automatically cleaning one or more wheels, comprising:

• a mobile utility machine having one or more wheels;
• at least one foreign matter detector coupled to the mobile utility machine and positioned adjacent to the one or more wheels;
• at least one cleaning device coupled to the mobile utility machine and arranged adjacent to at least one of the one or more wheels without contacting the at least one of the one or more wheels;
• and
• a cleaning determination module communicatively coupled to the at least one foreign matter detector and the at least one cleaning device and configured to:
• receive a signal from the at least one foreign matter detector indicative of possible foreign matter present on at least one of the one or more wheels,
• determine from the signal that the foreign matter is present on at least one of the one or more wheels, and
• direct the at least one cleaning device to remove the foreign matter from the at least one of the one or more wheels without contacting the at least one of the one or more wheels.