Humanoid robots learn waste sorting from real workers using VR headsets

Humanoid robots learn waste sorting from real workers using VR headsets

Published Online: May 26, 2025

Written by: Stephanie Bontorin

"TeknTrash Robotics, a UK-based company focusing on AI-powered robotics and motion intelligence for waste management, has partnered with Sharp Group to begin real-world testing of Automated Litter Processing Humanoid Assistant (ALPHA), an advanced humanoid robot designed to transform how we sort waste.

The partnership will operate at Sharp Group's facility in Rainham, East London, where the company currently handles and processes 2,800 tonnes of waste per week, including plastic, paper, glass, metal, general, stone, and more. Frontline workers are now equipped with Meta Quest 3 headsets that record their movements during daily operations. The company will then use an app developed by TeknTrash to train AI robotic models based on workers' posture, hand and finger articulations, and synchronized video. ..."

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