- The old smartphones could be reused to support the collection and analysis of the data
- University researchers have built data centers from recycled phones for only 8 euros each
- The project shows that environmental gains are possible thanks to the reuse of the creative apparatus
Each year, more than a billion smartphones are manufactured worldwide, and most are thrown in a few years, often still in working condition – and with limited recycling and growing demand, environmental toll continues to grow.
A group of researchers from the University of Tartu in Estonia wanted to test whether retired smartphones could serve a second objective beyond discharge or recycling, and transform them into small local data centers.
Huber Flores, an associate professor of omnipresent computer science, said about the idea behind the project: “Innovation often begins not with something new, but with a new way of thinking of the old, reinventing its role in shaping the future.”
A low cost solution for electronic waste
Flores and his colleagues started by eliminating lithium-ion batteries from phones to reduce the risk of chemical leaks. The food was rather provided outside.
Then four phones were set up together using 3D printed holders, forming a work prototype. Each phone costs around 8 euros to reuse in a part of a data center.
The test model has been deployed in several environments. Underwater, he helped maritime research by treating video sequences directly on site to count marine life species. Normally, a diver should record the data and bring it back to the surface for analysis. Reused phones have treated everything automatically.
In another scenario, researchers suggested that these telephone systems could be placed in urban places such as bus stops. There, they could count passengers in real time, helping to improve public transport networks thanks to the collection and processing of local data.
With the global growth of electronic waste, the project offers a low cost means of giving new life to the old electronics. This shows that phones do not have to be replaced every two years or thrown once they are.
Ulrich Norbisrath, an associate professor of software engineering, summed up the team’s opinion, saying: “Sustainability is not only to preserve the future, it is a question of reinventing the present, where yesterday’s devices become the opportunities of tomorrow.”
Although the project is framed around the idea of micro-data centers, examples, such as monitoring of underwater species and passenger counts, are closer to IoT applications in practice. However, the concept shows that with a change of perspective, even obsolete consumption technology can assume new significant roles in the processing of local data.
