The very first wooden framed computer has been created. Designers at MicroPro collaborated with the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM to introduce to the world the “iameco” computer, the one of a kind Eco-friendly computer that could possibly be the future of Technology.
As a whole we are becoming more and more aware of our surroundings, people we interact with and of our impact on the environment. Seems fitting that what we use to communicate with others would be Eco-friendly too, right? Of course there will be a need for ensuring that devices that are friendly to the Earth are still user friendly to us and there is where we could run into problems.
We are a fast paced, click and go social society that needs to constantly remain in touch with the online world even while we are on the go. So will products be able to keep up even when they take the environment into account?
The iameco has been created from production to recycling by the best engineers in Europe. Creating a PC that leaves a very low carbon imprint on the earth while we still have all the capabilities of a traditional computer.
The frame is made of wood but the low impact computer does more than just look pretty, in its entire life cycle only 360 kg of CO2 will be used, which in comparison to a traditional computer will produce less pollution by nearly 70%. A full 98% of its mechanisms are recyclable, with 20% of them having the ability to be reused for repairing other devices. Even hazardous chemicals have been taken into consideration, such as halogenated flame retardants; they have been replaced with less toxic substitutes in order for it to be less harmful in landfills at the end of its life cycle.
In order for this type of computer to be achieved the engineers of iameco needed to think outside of the box, literally. Therefore they replaced the fans with heatsinks to keep the processor remaining cool, which not only saves energy but will keep the sound of the computer to a bare minimum. The iameco is lit by LED lights that reduce the use of 30% power when compared to traditional computer screens.
This is only the beginning with hopes of recycling old computers and bringing them to life again and currently both companies are collaborating once again to bring us an Eco-friendly notebook in the near future.
When I first saw this, I thought perhaps it was a stretch, skeptical of its capabilities, and now, I have only six words in response to this…
“Shut up and take my money.”
Cutting down trees is not being eco friendly!
I thought the same thing first too, but since they recycle a lot of stuff to make the computer that most likely included tree scrapes.