Who is Liam, Apple's recycling robot?
During the beginning of Apple’s “Let us loop you in” event on March 21, vice president for environmental initiatives Lisa Jackson introduced us to an impressive innovation that Cupertino has developed to help become more green. Not only has the tech giant greatly increased its use of renewable energy, but it has also developed a custom robot that aids in recycling iPhones that are no longer serviceable. Meet Liam.
Liam automatically scans old iPhones, and then separates them into their component parts. The robot can scan the materials within the handset, instantly knowing the makeup of various parts as well as what they can be used for. Various components from within the iPhone can be used to make tools, solar panels, new iPhones, or other hardware.
Jackson didn’t disclose how many Liams Apple has, but she did point out that Cupertino designed and built the robot itself. This is a very impressive initiative to help prevent old iPhones from ending up in landfills, and using the parts from the handsets for other purposes. Check out the video of Liam in action below, or click here if it fails to load.
