Electronic waste has become a global problem. Unfortunately, most discarded used technology, known as e-waste, is landfilled or processed under unsafe conditions. Around 78% of electronic products are not recycled properly and the pile of trash continues to grow.
In 2024, the world will produce 1.22 billion smartphones. If we add this to the billions of televisions, laptops and computers, what we have is a saturated market that feeds a cycle of discard.
TO United Nations report predicts that e-waste will grow to 80 million tons by 2030. “That’s enough to fill 1.5 million 40-ton trucks, which could go around the planet,” he says Eric IngebretsenCommercial Director of SK Teswhich manages 40 global IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) sites and processes hundreds of millions of pounds of electronics annually.
It is clear that the world urgently needs e-waste projects that can turn around the global situation and at the same time boost business.
A Danish robotic solution
To the Danish Technological InstituteResearchers are building an artificial intelligence-powered robotic system that could help address e-waste while scaling, modernizing and powering the tech refurbishment industry.
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TNW received a demonstration of the project from Mikkel Labori Olsenconsultant in robotic technology at the institute and researcher at RoboSAPIENS project, which aims to make robot-human interaction safer. His team is developing a robot that automates the reconditioning of laptops, creating a revenue stream while reducing e-waste.
The system is equipped with a robotic arm, a dedicated toolbox and a camera. He is trained to replace laptop screens, a time-consuming manual task for which local businesses struggle to find workers because of the tedious processes involved, Olsen said.
Olsen and his team have already trained the robot to replace the screens of two laptop models and their submodels. They are now working hard to expand the robot’s screen removal capabilities to more laptop models and brands.
The robot combines AI and visual recognition to adapt to different types of laptops, remove the plastic protectors, unscrew the screens and carefully remove them. TO recent videa shows it in action.
“We can dramatically reduce waste if instead of throwing away a perfectly useful laptop, we simply replace the screen and then sell it again,” Olsen says.
The business value of electronic waste
Depending on the region, the laptop model and other circumstances, a refurbished laptop can sell for about 200 euros, while the material value of a recycled laptop (obtained by shredding the entire device) is only about 10 euros, says Olsen.
“The essence is that by changing some components, and especially some simple components, you can get a lot of value instead of just selling the recycled components,” he adds.
However, training the AI that powers systems like Olsen’s is a challenge. If the robot encounters unexpected events that were not in its data set, it may have difficulty completing tasks. Even small details, such as different colors of screws, could require new AI training to expand the data set on which the system is based.
These unexpected events are why robotic systems in the technology recycling industry must include humans in the loop, Olsen says. They could fix any problems the robot points out.
Why is e-waste an untapped billion-dollar industry?
The value of electronic waste is incredibly high. TO ton of discarded smartphones produces more gold than a ton of mined gold ore, according to a report by the Astute Group.
“In addition to gold, components such as copper, silver, palladium and rare earths are essential for making the technological hardware that the world demands,” says Ingebretsen of SK Tes.
However, most e-waste is never recovered. But why doesn’t the technology industry either Are other sectors taking advantage of this market?
According to Olsen, this field has not yet been recognized globally as one of significant value. However, companies are slowly realizing the potential of robotic e-waste recycling.
Another factor holding back technology is cost. “Robots and automation are expensive and complex,” says Olsen.
An additional challenge is the overwhelming diversity of hardware, components, devices, model variations, and states of e-waste products when encountered.
This causes problems when building robotic systems that can adapt to different e-waste devices without problems. The AI that can do this is very advanced and largely still in research and development.
Modern technological problems and solutions
As technology becomes more compact, manufacturers are radically changing the way they build their devices. They often glue components together instead of using screws, making it very difficult to disassemble and recycle without damaging the components.
Despite these challenges, Olsen is optimistic. He is impressed by the progress being made by local, European and international companies, which are upping their game to renew technology or recycle components.
In Denmark, companies such as Level 1A, Renewand green mind Show renovation can be a scalable business model: “Some of these companies aim to renovate up to 2,000 units a day,” Olsen says.
Olsen and his team plan to continue expanding the capabilities of their robotic system. The goal is for it to recognize many different laptop models and submodels. Ultimately, they want to build a production-ready robotic system that supports local Danish technology renewal companies.
Their optimism makes sense: robotics are set to reshape the future of e-waste management and reuse. From Denmark to global recycling operations, AI-powered systems are being developed to accurately identify, sort and dismantle devices.
These robots will enable the automation of dangerous and labor-intensive tasks and improve safety and efficiency. They will also unlock the treasure trove of e-waste.
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