We're used to seeing robots putting together our big appliances and products, but at a Panasonic facility in Japan, the robots' job isn't to put washers and air conditioners together but to take them apart. And they're using AI to figure out how the company can make things so that they're easier to disassemble.
It's part of a "circular economy" push that the company highlighted at CES 2026. Panasonic is trying to reduce the need for new raw materials and lessen its environmental footprint. "Recycling is not as good as reuse or remanufacture," said Andrea Murphy, director of environmental affairs and sustainability for Panasonic North America.
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Panasonic started with the big appliances -- washing machines and washer-dryer combos. Those items have big components that are easy to reuse. As the robots are trained to take things apart (like popping metal coverings off with magnetic arms), they identify things that get in the way, like inconveniently placed screws and connectors. The AI models controlling the robots can provide feedback on better ways to construct the machines so their parts can be reused or repaired.
This has big implications not just for the disassembly of old washing machines and the manufacture of new ones, but for repairs and maintenance that can make the equipment last longer. Parts that fail more often or require more repairs, like the heat pump in a washer-dryer combo, can be moved to areas that are easier to fix or replace. That keeps the machine operating longer.
AI models also help designers sort through what happens if you try to move or change one part of the machine. They can use simulations to calculate whether something would still work.
"It's hard for a designer to actually calculate all the different scenarios," Panasonic design engineer Michael Shadovitz told me. "So we're trying to use this technology or language models in the future to help design with the design process for disassembly."
Panasonic's booth at CES showed off videos of the disassembly robots in action. Panasonic
Using robots to take machines apart also makes it easier to reuse components in new models. Videos of the robots at work showed them using magnets and other mechanisms to do things like pop the cover off of a microwave. If, like me, you've taken electronics apart for fun or curiosity, you know how difficult it can be to detach all of those components without breaking or snapping something. Keeping those components as pristine as possible makes it easier for them to end up in a new microwave with little to no refurbishment needed.
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