Experts tackle phone battery waste using AI

Every year, newly manufactured batteries for mobile phones and tablets are discarded before they even reach consumers.

This hidden waste, affecting an estimated ten to 30 percent of new batteries, results from defects and inefficiencies in production.

To address this issue, a new collaboration between Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland and Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Germany is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve production efficiency and reduce waste.

Battery manufacturing is resource-intensive, with approximately 32 metric tons of rock and ore processed for every ton of battery material, says Associate Professor Andreas Kempa-Liehr from the Faculty of Engineering and Design.

“Reducing waste in battery production is crucial, not only for improving efficiency but also for minimising its environmental impact. By leveraging artificial intelligence, we can optimise production processes and significantly cut down on waste, ultimately making battery manufacturing more sustainable.”

The team are using AI algorithms that mimic human experts, detecting faulty batteries from complex sensor data. Unlike traditional quality control methods, these AI models can learn what a ‘normal’ battery should look like and identify defects, improving overall production quality.

The goal is not only to detect faulty batteries but to refine the entire manufacturing process, reducing waste before it occurs.

Fraunhofer ISE’s battery research centre, with its state-of-the-art laboratories, provides a strong foundation for this work. The institute’s expertise in battery sustainability and performance supports the collaboration’s aim to improve efficiency and minimise waste in manufacturing.

The partnership, which is set to run for five years, also includes joint student supervision and researcher exchanges, and has already yielded promising early findings, says Kempa-Liehr.

“This collaboration combines the University of Auckland’s expertise in AI with Fraunhofer ISE’s extensive research and real-world data on battery production. Our goal is to set new standards for the industry by reducing waste right from the start.”