Researchers Develop Robotic System to Disassemble and Recycle Broken Industrial Robots
As the global count of industrial robots continues to climb—from over 4 million today to a projected 16 million by 2030—researchers are already thinking ahead to what happens when these machines inevitably break down.
A team at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany has developed a system designed to predict defects in damaged robots and disassemble them while preserving reusable components. The setup combines a predictive algorithm with robotic manipulators that methodically take apart broken machines.
The system works iteratively: at each stage of disassembly, it checks whether its predictions about the defect match the observed results. If something doesn't align—for example, if a screw fails to come loose as expected—the system adapts its approach, switching to an alternative method such as milling away material to free stuck components.
The researchers argue that sustainable robotic development requires the industry to prepare for the eventual dismantling, recycling, and rebuilding of robotic systems on a large scale. By automating the recovery of parts from decommissioned robots, such systems could reduce electronic waste and lower the material costs of building new machines.