AI-powered robots help tackle Europe’s growing e-waste problem

EU researchers have developed adaptable robots that would rework the way in which we recycle digital waste, benefiting each the atmosphere and the financial system.

Simply exterior the historic German city of Goslar, a sprawling industrial complicated receives an limitless stream of discarded electronics. On arrival, this electronic waste is laboriously ready for recycling.

Electrocycling GmbH is likely one of the largest e-waste recycling services in Europe. Yearly, it processes as much as 80,000 metric tons of digital waste, which is available in all shapes and kinds.

Guide dismantling

Regardless of a formidable array of equipment, greater than half of the location’s workers manually put together the discarded gadgets for recycling. They do that by sorting the incoming waste and eradicating batteries, that are a fireplace hazard and a significant problem in e-waste recycling.

“There are more and more devices, they are getting smaller, and they all contain lithium batteries, some of which are permanently installed, soldered or glued in place,” mentioned Hannes Fröhlich, Electrocycling’s managing director.

“It’s not a dream job, dismantling these appliances every day with hammers and pliers. I think we can do better.”

A few of these tedious duties might be carried out by robots. Nonetheless, the issue is that each time there’s a change within the product or the method, the {hardware} and software program should be restructured. This may be pricey and time-consuming.

To deal with this problem, a analysis initiative named ReconCycle has managed to automate the method by creating robots that may reconfigure themselves for various duties.

New territory for robotics

Researchers from Slovenia, Germany and Italy labored collectively on this problem on the Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia’s main analysis facility, from 2020 to 2024.

The crew developed adaptable AI-supported robots which are capable of take away batteries from smoke detectors and radiator warmth meters.

These two merchandise will be present in most households and are changed each 5 to eight years, creating giant quantities of waste.

“The main challenge is that there are so many different versions of each device. Just think how many different remote controls there are,” mentioned Dr. Aleš Ude. He’s head of the Division of Automatics, Biocybernetics and Robotics on the Jožef Stefan Institute and coordinates the ReconCycle analysis crew.

In industrial settings, robots are often programmed for one particular job, repeating precisely the identical sequence of actions in a predictable atmosphere.

As an alternative, the researchers got down to create a robotic that may adapt to many alternative duties, utilizing state-of-the-art AI.

“We wanted to expand robotics, introduce robots where there aren’t any yet,” Ude mentioned.

A rising drawback

Working with Electrocycling, Ude’s worldwide analysis crew created an adaptable robotic work cell. It is a workspace that consists of not less than one robotic, its instruments and tools, and its controller.

The novelty right here is that this closed system autonomously adapts itself to varied duties, with the assistance of complicated AI-driven software program and modular {hardware} that may be shortly reconfigured. It additionally makes use of delicate parts like SoftHand, a human-like hand that may manipulate objects with nice precision.

There are additionally security options like collaborative robots and emergency cease buttons.

Worldwide collaboration was essential in securing the correct experience, mentioned Ude.

“Robotics is very interdisciplinary, so it’s difficult to find the right partners in one country.”

Fortunately, the brand new robots are arriving simply on the proper time, as the quantity of e-waste produced yearly continues to develop. Virtually 5 million metric tons of e-waste are produced within the EU every year, amounting to about 11 kilograms per individual. Lower than 40% of that’s recycled, the European Parliament has warned.

Globally, round 62 million metric tons of e-waste had been produced in 2022 alone, sufficient to fill 1.5 million 40-ton vehicles, in response to UN information. Much more worryingly, the quantity of e-waste is rising 5 instances sooner than the quantity that’s being recycled.

The EU is working to scale back e-waste by the Waste from Electrical and Digital Gear Directive, which units the requirements for assortment and recycling.

The work of Ude’s crew can be aligned with the EU’s digital technique, which inspires the usage of AI in manufacturing to enhance effectivity and assist obtain local weather neutrality by 2050.

Throwing away cash

E-waste additionally has severe financial implications. An estimated €84 billion is misplaced every year when priceless metals like copper, iron and gold are discarded as an alternative of being reused, in response to the UN’s world e-waste monitor.

At Electrocycling, 80% of the e-waste is recovered as raw materials, similar to iron, zinc, gold, silver and palladium—some 35 supplies in all.

“People need to understand that this is not just waste, but also raw materials that need to be recycled and kept in circulation, both for economic efficiency and a reduction of CO₂,” mentioned Fröhlich.

New expertise could make it much more environment friendly, and Fröhlich sees loads of potential in it.

“I was surprised by how far the technology and AI have already come,” he mentioned. “They even recreated a human hand for the robot.”

Ude hopes to proceed working with Electrocycling to enhance e-waste options additional. The hope can be that adaptable robots which might deal with altering environments can have purposes far past e-waste recycling.

Given extra time and growth, these robots may even deal with normal housekeeping, or help caregivers in senior properties, mentioned Ude.

“Robotics could be of great help in such areas.”