Automated Disassembly of Waste Printed Circuit Boards: The Role of Edge Computing and IoT

The ever-growing volume of global electronic waste (e-waste) poses significant environmental and health challenges. Printed circuit boards (PCBs), which form the core of most electronic devices, contain valuable metals as well as hazardous materials. The efficient disassembly and recycling of e-waste is critical for both economic and environmental sustainability. The traditional manual disassembly methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often hazardous. The integration of edge computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) provides a novel approach to automating the disassembly process, potentially transforming the way e-waste is managed. Automated disassembly of WPCBs involves the use of advanced technologies, specifically edge computing and the IoT, to streamline the recycling process. This strategy aims to improve the efficiency and sustainability of e-waste management by leveraging real-time data analytics and intelligent decision-making at the edge of the network. This paper explores the application of edge computing and the IoT in the automated disassembly of WPCBs, discussing the technological framework, benefits, challenges, and future prospects. The experimental results show that the YOLOv10 model achieves 99.9% average precision (AP), enabling accurate real-time detection of electronic components, which greatly facilitates the automated disassembly process.