The robotics industry should be creating robots that could be reprogrammed and repurposed for other tasks once its life span is completed, University of Bristol and University of West England researchers have advised.
The study, published in Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems, aims to challenge individuals working in the robotics industry and in academia to note the effect that their early work can have on the long-term use of a robotic system.
With 80% of a robot’s environmental impact decided during the initial design phases of a product life-cycle, experts argue it is essential that researchers, designers and manufacturers understand the limitations of recycling an electronic product at the end of its life, and instead consider the other options possible to move products and the industry towards a sustainable life-cycle.
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