Cabin standard

The Clean Robotaxi cabin standard

A driverless car needs a written cabin standard because there is no driver sitting in the vehicle between riders. The inspection has to be simple, repeatable, and clear enough to use beside the car.

A human driver often notices a sticky handle, a lost phone, a smoke smell, or a dirty seat before the next rider gets in. A robotaxi does not have that human check by default. Cameras and sensors can help with some issues, but a fleet still needs a written standard for the physical cabin. The standard tells the person on the ground what to look at, what counts as acceptable, and when the vehicle should stop carrying riders until the problem is fixed.

The Clean Robotaxi checklist divides the vehicle into zones. Seats are checked for crumbs, wet spots, damage, and stains that need extraction. Floor and mats are checked for loose debris, grit, spills, and anything that could roll under pedals in a vehicle that can still be moved manually. Touch surfaces include the screen, buttons, door handles, grab points, armrests, and controls riders commonly use. Seat belts and buckles need to be clean, dry, reachable, and able to latch. Windows and mirrors need to be clear enough for rider comfort, remote assistance, and safe manual handling. The trunk or cargo area needs to be empty and dry unless the vehicle is carrying approved equipment.

The exterior also matters. Sensor domes and camera lenses are part of a cleanliness inspection because dirt, stickers, road film, and tape can obstruct the vehicle's view. Exterior glass, mirrors, charge port areas, body spots, wheel arches, and wash condition can all affect the next service decision. Odour is its own zone because smoke, spoiled food, chemicals, or bodily fluids can make a cabin unacceptable even when surfaces look clean.

Each item has three outcomes. Pass means the item is ready for riders. Needs attention means the vehicle may be close, but a touch-up, note, or follow-up is needed. Fail means the item is not acceptable. Some failures are critical. Bodily fluids, biohazard, broken glass, sharp objects, a rider's item left in the car, obstructed sensor lenses, and strong odour or smoke should pull the vehicle from service until fixed.

The score is intentionally simple. A Pass earns one point. Needs attention earns half a point. Fail earns zero. The tool divides the points by the number of answered items and rounds the result to a score out of 100. If nothing is answered, it shows a plain instruction instead of a number. A score of 90 or higher with every item answered and no attention items is Ready for riders. A score from 70 to 89, or any attention item with no critical fail, is Ready after touch-up. Any critical fail, or a score below 70, is Pull from service. A critical fail wins over the numeric score.

Run Between rides when a vehicle comes back from a rider trip and needs a quick cabin check. Run End of shift when the vehicle returns to a depot, charger, storage location, or contractor handoff point. Run Weekly deep check on a scheduled maintenance rhythm, after a messy incident, after body work, after repeated complaints, or when quick checks keep finding the same item. The weekly check should be slower and more physical. Look under seats, into crevices, around vents, in the cargo area, and around exterior wash points.

This standard is not a law, a manufacturer procedure, or a substitute for safety instructions from a vehicle maker. It is a practical written checklist for cleanliness and rider readiness. A fleet can add stricter rules, photos, signatures, chemical handling instructions, or local disposal steps. The important part is consistency: the same zones, the same outcomes, and the same pull-from-service rule every time.

FAQ