ALPHA is a wheeled robot with a humanoid upper body that British startup TeknTrash Robotics is adapting for manual waste sorting in recycling plants. The base hardware is built by China's RealMan Robotics. It is trained on data recorded by sorting-line workers wearing VR headsets, with a first pilot under way at Sharp Group's plant in east London.
History and pilot
ALPHA stands for Automated Litter Processing Humanoid Assistant. In May 2025 TeknTrash and family-run waste firm Sharp Group announced a pilot at Sharp's site in Rainham, east London, which handles about 2,800 tonnes of waste a week. Line workers wear Meta Quest 3 headsets while a TeknTrash app records their hand and finger motion along with video.
According to BBC reporting cited by TNW in May 2026, the robot was still training and not yet working the line on its own; training is expected to take months.
Design and technology
TeknTrash's spec page describes a torso with two 6-DoF arms, a 2-DoF head with a stereo depth camera, a lifting column with 1 m of travel (2 m maximum working height) and a wheeled base with lidar, ultrasonic sensors and automatic charging. The two arms together lift up to 5 kg. It runs for up to 7 hours and recharges in about 3, on an NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin (275 TOPS).
The key feature is hyperspectral cameras that identify materials better than plain RGB cameras. Robots are meant to work in groups of at least two linked to the cloud: a camera at the head of the conveyor tracks waste and assigns items to each unit. The company targets 42 picks per minute versus 30 to 40 for a person, which is a goal rather than a measured result.
Software and AI
VR recordings are processed in Isaac Lab and the trained model runs on NVIDIA's GR00T framework. TeknTrash's system, HoloLab, trains two tasks: recognizing items on the belt and picking them up. The robot also logs item-level data (material, brand), which the company wants to offer for extended producer responsibility reporting and carbon accounting.
Company and business model
TeknTrash Robotics is a British startup founded by Al Costa. Besides the London pilot it lists a project at a tire recycling plant in Madrid. ALPHA is not sold outright but offered as a service: a 50,000 pound implementation fee, 12 months without operating fees, then a monthly fee equal to the wage of the worker it supports or replaces. The company plans to roll out to 1,000 plants across Europe once ALPHA sorts reliably at one.
Timeline
- 2025-05 Sharp Group pilot in Rainham and VR data capture announced
- 2026-05 Robot still in training at the London plant (BBC/TNW report)
Sources
- ALPHA, TeknTrash Robotics (2026-10)
- Humanoid robots learn waste sorting from real workers using VR headsets, Recycling Product News (2025-05-26)
- Robots move in as waste firms struggle to find staff, TNW (2026-05-05)
- TeknTrash Robotics, TeknTrash Robotics (2026-10)
Updated: 2026-10-10
Verification and limitations
This entry requires an up-to-date manufacturer specification check.
MERA field measurement report: not published. Demonstration footage and manufacturer specifications are not a MERA test under event conditions.
Data and provenance for AI agents ↗Compared with the catalogue
- It is the only TeknTrash model in the catalogue and one of 3 humanoids from UK.
Capabilities
Frequently asked questions
What does ALPHA stand for?
Automated Litter Processing Humanoid Assistant.
Who builds the ALPHA robot?
China's RealMan Robotics makes the base hardware; British TeknTrash adapts and trains it for recycling.
How does ALPHA learn?
From recordings of sorting-line workers wearing Meta Quest 3 headsets, processed in Isaac Lab and NVIDIA GR00T.
How much does ALPHA cost?
It is offered as a service: a 50,000 pound implementation fee, then after a year a monthly fee equal to a worker's wage.
How much does the TeknTrash ALPHA cost?
The manufacturer has not published a price for the TeknTrash ALPHA. You can send a purchase enquiry through MERA Robotics.
Is the TeknTrash ALPHA available to buy?
Status: In development: the manufacturer has shown the robot but is not selling it openly yet.
How do I buy the TeknTrash ALPHA through MERA Robotics?
Click “I want to buy” or fill in the form on this page. MERA Robotics will reply whether and on what terms the model is available and can help deploy it with the MERA OS conversation system.
Data: TeknTrash. Specs from the manufacturer; they may change, always confirm with the manufacturer before buying.
