FCC's Robot Rules Could Ground New Foreign Vacuums

The FCC added foreign-made “advanced robotic devices” to its Covered List, meaning new robot vacuums built abroad that can move autonomously, are networked (AI-enabled), weigh more than 4.4 pounds, and operate with at least 200 kbps connectivity can’t receive FCC authorization and likely can’t be imported or sold in the U.S. The move aims to curb security risks from data collection and remote control. Existing robot vacuums already in the U.S. aren’t affected, and retailers still list current models, but the policy could limit future overseas models; examples still available include Eufy X10 Pro Omni, Lefant M210, Roborock Q7 L5, and iRobot Roomba 105.