Consider a world in which we do not just throw away old technology. Rather, we collect individual components for a second, third, or even fourth life. Once the equipment is actually obsolete, we refurbish and recycle it in order to utilise the same elements into next-generation laptops, displays, or phones. It’s a world where nothing goes to waste and the mountain of gadgets wasted each year (more than 57 million tonnes globally, to be exact) is drastically reduced. Not only is technology dematerialized, but the materials we consume power a thriving circular economy. As a result, the requirement for new raw materials is reduced.
Dell Technologies presented Concept Luna a year ago, a ground-breaking sustainable PC design that demonstrates how Dell can decrease waste and emissions, reuse materials, and achieve next-level innovation. Over the previous year, Dell Technologies’ Experience Innovation Group engineers have worked to further develop Concept Luna’s modular architecture, removing the need for adhesives and connections and reducing the need of screws. These enhancements make system repair and disassembly easier. Concept Luna has the potential to significantly simplify and accelerate repair and disassembly operations, making components more accessible and improving reuse prospects.
Dell has produced something that has the potential to cause a seismic change in the industry and drive circularity at scale by fusing Luna’s ecological design with cognitive telemetry and robotic automation. One environmentally friendly device is one thing, but the true opportunity lies in the potential influence on the millions of electronic products sold annually and in the optimisation of the components in those products for reuse, refurbishment, or recycling in the future.
In order to prevent any resources from going to waste, the telemetry that Dell incorporated to Luna also gives users the chance to assess the condition of certain system components. Not all components approach end-of-life at the same time because individuals utilise technology in various ways. For instance, those who work from home could use external devices like keyboards and monitors. Even though the laptop’s motherboard has to be replaced, the keyboard and monitor have hardly been used. To maximise their lifespans, the Concept Luna development can equip and link individual components to telemetry. It’s similar to how we maintain our vehicles in their most basic form—we don’t toss out the entire vehicle when we need new tyres or brakes.
Dell’s continuous collaboration with Concept Luna takes us closer to a future in which more devices are built with a modular design. The exciting addition of robotics and automation acts as a catalyst to accelerate efficient device disassembly, measure component health and remaining usability, and better understand which components can be reused, refurbished, or recycled – ensuring that nothing is wasted. This goal has broad and significant ramifications for Dell, its customers, and the industry as a whole in terms of reducing e-waste.
The engineers, designers, and enthusiastic sustainability specialists on the Dell Technologies team are motivated by these investigations to keep Concept Luna evolving. While Luna is now “just a concept,” it represents a long-term vision for how the organisation will use circular design principles to have an even larger influence on the business and society. Innovating, pushing design limits, seeking input, and rethinking business models will all continue to be priorities for Dell as it works to achieve its Advancing Sustainability goals. Luna is focused on accelerating ground-breaking developments and establishing a more sustainable future for humanity.