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Did you hear it was just a ban on Chinese humanoid robots? It's not:
When the Trump administration announced yesterday that it was banning "advanced robotic devices" from entering the United States, the headlines were all about humanoids. But spying doesn't require legs — and neither does the FCC's robot ban.
The robot ban will sweep up robot vacuum cleaners too, FCC media relations director Katie Gorscak confirms to The Verge.
It's not coming for your existing Roomba, and companies can keep importing and selling already approved ones. But the government claims that future foreign robots pose a national security risk, and even robovac companies are suddenly being asked to commit to US manufacturing.
While the government did include "humanoid robots" and "quadrupeds" among the bots it wants to ban, the ban is far broader than that. It covers almost any new software-controlled robot that travels over the ground, weighs more than 4.4 pounds (including any dock), can perceive its environment, and has wireless connectivity.
By that definition, the FCC is banning future robot lawnmowers, sidewalk delivery robots, and the robots that crate around packages at your local Amazon warehouse, too.
It was already clear from the government's ban announcement that it was thinking about robot vacuums. In the National Security Determination that the FCC is using to justify the ban, the government explicitly calls out my reporting on the incredibly poor security that let one man access 7,000 DJI robovacs around the world.
But like the consumer router ban, the FCC isn't actually targeting companies with poor security. It's targeting basically every robovac company, regardless of their security practices — because basically every robovac is manufactured outside the US.
[...] But again, the government isn't asking these companies any questions about security — not one — to get the waiver that lets them through. The FCC only wants to know where they're designed and made and assembled and tested and influenced, and get a specific commitment to start manufacturing them in the US instead.
Even then, it appears the FCC will simply preference US companies without any new commitments to security or US manufacturing, like it did when it almost immediately let Netgear off the hook — even though Netgear's routers were among those targeted in the Volt Typhoon incident that helped justify the router ban to begin with. Four unnamed sources told Reuters that "the FCC is expected to exempt many non-Chinese suppliers from the restrictions."
(Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday August 04, @04:33PM
Roomba, I'm guessing? There aren't many to chose from. They went bankrupt awhile ago and they basically gave up on R+D and later gave up completely when the government decided we're not enforcing IP laws if they stand in the way of Chinese profits.
Much like you don't have to follow FCC regs or UL/TUV certifications if you're importing from China, you also don't have to enforce any IP law. So the Chinese copied Roomba, undercut because they didn't have to pay for any R+D, ship something a little nicer, take over.
My experience with robot vacuum cleaners is they're a good way to turn a 15 minute chore into 30 minutes of Fing around with the robot, as it inevitably gets stuck, clogged, battery dies, etc. A pleasant change of pace but not really worth it in the long run. It's a trade of a short predictable reliable chore, for a longer more complex and difficult mystery problem. Very strong rube goldberg machine vibes. Kind of reminds me of using a LLM/AI to "work" but it ends up being more work than doing it myself LOL.