Self cleaning modular floor system for robotaxis and passenger vehicles

An automobile vehicle self-cleaning modular floor system, comprising:

• a self-cleaning modular assembly positioned in a passenger compartment of an automobile vehicle and including a tread portion, the tread portion having a first face and an oppositely directed second face, wherein the first face of the tread portion when upwardly directed defines a first position of the tread portion and when downwardly directed defines a second position of the tread portion;
• a signal generated when no passengers are sensed in the passenger compartment, the signal directing the tread portion to automatically displace from the first position to the second position;
• a waste collection tray positioned below the tread portion;
• and
• a sensing device generating the signal,
• wherein a waste item collected on the first face in the first position during operation of the automobile vehicle is displaced into the waste collection tray when the tread portion is displaced from the first position to the second position.

A method for operating an automobile vehicle self-cleaning modular floor system, comprising:

• performing a querying operation to determine if at least one passenger is present in a passenger compartment of an automobile vehicle;
• sending an initiation signal to initiate motion of a self-cleaning modular assembly if the at least one passenger is not present in the passenger compartment indicated by a compartment status signal;
• following a predetermined time period of motion of a first face of the self-cleaning modular assembly which is initially upwardly directed to collect waste items during operation of the automobile vehicle defining a first position to reposition the first face to a downwardly directed second position;
• displacing the waste items into a holding cavity of a waste collection tray;
• and
• manually removing the waste collection tray to allow removal of the waste items and cleaning of the waste collection tray.