From PCMAG · Michael Kan · · 1m 50s
The first robot through the FCC's ban is a lawn mower
A Swedish mower maker is the first company cleared under the US ban on foreign-made robots, and its pass has no expiry date.
In brief
A Swedish mower maker is the first company cleared under the US ban on foreign-made robots, and its pass has no expiry date. The robot ban has a door in it, and the price of walking through is disclosing where every component, every line of firmware, and any future factory sits. Originally reported by PCMAG.
A ban with a door in it
Just over a month after the US blocked foreign-made advanced robots, a category that sweeps in robot vacuums and some pool cleaners, the FCC granted its first exemption.
Four mowers get through
The conditional approval covers Husqvarna's 305v IQ, 310v IQ, 420v IQ and 440v IQ series. The Defense Department decided the machines were no threat, despite worries about spying and sabotage.
“do not pose risks to US national security”
No expiry date
The pass starts September 9, 2026 and appears to run forever. Drone exemptions top out at 12 months and Wi-Fi routers at 18, including the one Asus received in the same order.
The window still closes
FCC guidelines set no time limit for robot approvals, but applications have to land by the start of 2028. After that the line shuts unless the White House changes the rules.
“Applicants must submit Conditional Approval applications by January 1, 2028”
Vacuums could be next
If a mower clears the bar, ordinary machines like robot vacuums and pool cleaners might too. But Washington's worries about China's hold on the electronics supply chain have not gone away.
Husqvarna takes the win
The company is advertising itself as the first robotics vendor to be cleared. The four new platforms reach the US in 2027, and models already on shelves are covered too.
“setting the standard for trusted robotic mowing”
The price of admission
To get an exemption, a company hands over the country of origin for every part, plus the software and firmware, and any plans to build robots on US soil.
“country of origin for all components in the robot”
What matters most
The robot ban has a door in it, and the price of walking through is disclosing where every component, every line of firmware, and any future factory sits.
