Surface maintenance machne with dust mitigation

A method for cleaning with a surface maintenance machine, the method comprising:

• monitoring surroundings of the surface maintenance machine through one or more sensors;
• determining that the surface maintenance machine is cleaning adjacent to an obstacle;
• detecting, by the one or more sensors, a particulate cloud in the surroundings of the surface maintenance machine, wherein the detecting is while the surface maintenance machine is cleaning adjacent to the obstacle;
• and
• in response to detecting the particulate cloud, automatically reducing a rotational speed of the side brush.

A surface maintenance machine comprising:

• a body;
• wheels for supporting the body for movement over a surface;
• a cleaning tool chamber housed towards a bottom portion of the body;
• one or more rotary brooms housed in the cleaning tool chamber;
• a vacuum system adapted to generate vacuum for drawing particulate swept by the one or more rotary brooms, wherein the vacuum system comprises one or more filters;
• a side brush positioned laterally on the surface maintenance machine to maintain a larger footprint of the surface, wherein the side brush is connected to a first side of the surface maintenance machine;
• one or more sensors;
• and
• a side brush speed program operatively connected to the side brush, wherein the side brush speed program is configured to automatically reduce a rotational speed of the side brush in response to detecting an obstacle adjacent the first side of the surface maintenance machine.