On 28 July 2026, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-made mobile robots to its “Covered List”. Here is what this decision does, and what it does not do.

What it does: block FCC certification for future foreign-made models, and thus their arrival on US shelves. What it does not do: remove a device from the market or from homes. A robot vacuum already purchased does not cease to function. And the rule is American.

What exactly did the FCC decide?

Two categories entered the list on the same day. On one side, advanced foreign-made robotic devices — mobile robots, humanoid and quadruped robots. On the other, separately, foreign-made connected uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), those boxes that convert electrical current (The Verge, 28 July). That is all: two lines added to an administrative document. The rest hinges on the definition adopted.

Why your vacuum is in and your car is out

The definition mentions neither intelligence nor a robot that would decide on its own. It consists of three criteria, and a device must meet all three:

  • be a mobile terrestrial device weighing more than 4.4 pounds (i.e. 2 kg), including the docking station;
  • be equipped with a sensor capable of perceiving its environment;
  • have a network connection exceeding 200 kbit/s in either direction.

Ars Technica details what this categorises on either side (28 July):

  • In: robot vacuums, pool cleaning robots, autonomous lawnmowers.
  • Out: trains, drones, underwater vehicles, connected cars, fixed robots and devices classified as medical.

Weight, sensor and bandwidth are therefore the true arbiters. A terrestrial device that moves, sees and talks to the network falls into this category, whether it is smart or perfectly dumb. In other words, pretty much anything that rolls and connects in a home.

Will my robot stop?

No. The measure does not remove any device from the market or from homes. Models already certified by the FCC continue to be sold, used and supported. A robot vacuum already purchased does not cease to function (Wired, 30 July). The decision sets no phase-out date and does not end any support.

On 5 August, four robot vacuum manufacturers declared this publicly: Ecovacs, Eufy, Narwal and Shark. Their products currently sold in the United States remain available, usable, maintained and updated. Only one of the four is cited in its own terms, and it is in English. Eufy states that “the new rule does not affect the continued availability, use or support of products we currently sell in the United States” (Vacuum Wars, 5 August). Translated: the new rule affects neither the continued availability, nor the use, nor the support of the products the brand sells today in the United States. However, none of the four announces anything concrete regarding their future US models: it is on future models that the manufacturers remain silent, not on machines already sold.

So what really changes?

One thing only, and it plays out upstream of the shop: FCC certification for future foreign-made models. Without certification, no arrival on US shelves. It is future models that are targeted, not the one making its back-and-forth trips under your sofa. On prices, the decision says nothing: it concerns certification, not tariffs.

And the ban is not even absolute. A manufacturer can apply for an exemption, the so-called “Conditional Approval” procedure. The detail is worth a look: the file imposes no requirement to improve the product’s own security. What it requires of each applicant is a detailed plan to relocate manufacturing to the United States. The Department of Defence can, for its part, exempt a robot or a class of robots (The Verge, 28 July).

And the humanoids, in all this?

On the same day, according to Tech Times — the only source to report it — the FCC prohibited new equipment authorisations for Chinese humanoids in the United States, without revoking already certified units. This is a separate decision from the addition to the Covered List, reported on the same date.

One of these humanoids, the Unitree G1, measures approximately 1.3 metres and weighs 35 kilograms, with a base price of around 13,500 US dollars, again according to Tech Times. This is the price of the body alone: the operator then adds their own cameras, grippers and onboard computers.

And in Europe?

The rule is American. According to GB News — the only source to report it — it does not restrict the purchase of robot vacuums in Europe. Questioned by this media outlet on 2 August, a UK government spokesperson replied in English: “We have no plans to introduce a ban on foreign-made robotics at this time. We will continue to monitor security risks.” In French: the government has no plans to introduce a ban on foreign-made robots at this stage, and will continue to monitor security risks.

On the product side, El País published a panorama on 29 July signed by Laura Pajuelo. This is neither a field investigation nor a household equipment statistic, and it is also the only source to report it. The newspaper cites four machines:

  • the Roomba Max 775 Combo, with a base that empties and cleans its mops;
  • the Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete, shown at CES, the Las Vegas electronics show: the manufacturer claims it can overcome thresholds and steps up to 10 centimetres thanks to a dual robotic arm, which has not been verified;
  • the Roborock RockMow S1 lawnmower, which navigates via GPS — with so-called RTK correction, which refines the position — and via camera;
  • the Aiper Scuba V pool robot, equipped with its own motor and its own filtration system.

The same newspaper gives no prices. It notes two limitations: these machines are mid-to-high range, and one must allow for learning time and initial settings to be done oneself, despite the promise of autonomy.

Key takeaways

An American list, a definition that catches anything that rolls on the floor, sees and connects, and zero devices unplugged. What changes: future foreign-made models will need to obtain certification to reach US shelves. And the exit route provided by the FCC does not require improving the product’s security, but a plan to manufacture locally. What does not change: machines already installed continue quietly making their back-and-forth trips.