The United States government is cracking down on robots. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission recently announced a ban on foreign-made advanced mobile robots, which includes the sci-fi-esque humanoid and quadruped robots that we’ve seen coming out of China recently.
While human-like robots aren’t necessarily the norm in American homes, the ban does affect a category that has become common among those who want to streamline their cleaning routines: Robot vacuums.
Keep reading for everything we know about the ban.
Why are robots being banned?
The FCC updated its Covered List earlier this month to include advanced robotic devices as well as power inverters that have been produced in foreign countries. The list includes communications equipment and services “that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.”
Items on the list are not eligible for receiving FCC equipment authorization, and without that, in most cases they cannot be imported, marketed or sold in the U.S.
The National Security Determination about the decision states that “robots are often equipped with high-fidelity sensors, including Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), tactile, acoustic, and thermal sensors that collect and maintain sensitive data on their surroundings.”
Along with production and supply chain factors, the Determination states that these devices pose a security risk, as they exist on networks, which have the potential to be attacked, leaving the devices vulnerable to data exfiltration and loss of control over the device.
What does the FCC robot ban cover?
The main focus of the ban seems to be on human- and animal- like robots, but the “advanced robotic devices” title is relatively broad and applies to gadgets that fit the following criteria:
- It’s capable of movement, navigation or obstacle avoidance.
- It operates at a distance either via human control or commands or in response to sensor data.
- The device, as well as any applicable docking station, weighs a combined total of over 4.4 pounds.
- It contains a sensor that can read its environment, is capable of providing network connectivity at speeds of at least 200 kbps or has “software running either locally or remotely, including firmware and AIor machine-learning model weights, that controls the robot’sautonomous navigation or movement perception, data collection, or remote command-and-control.”
Because many robot vacuums are self-mobile, connected to WiFi systems, collect information about your home and its surroundings and often are heavier than the weight limit set, they fall into this category.
What does it mean for your robot vacuum?
If you’re someone who depends on your robo vacuum for daily cleaning, don’t worry: It won’t suddenly stop working or need to be confiscated. The ban applies to new foreign-produced advanced robotic devices. And since many are produced or feature components that are produced outside of the U.S., that means that it applies to most on the market.
The keyword in the ban is new, so for the time being, you should still be able to purchase any of the older models that are currently available at retailers.
And just in case you’re currently in the market for one, we’re sharing the top robot vacuums that our editors recommend, as well as bestselling options that shoppers love.
Best robot vacuum deals
This affordable robot vacuum has an average 4.1-star rating from more than 16,000 total reviews. Shoppers say that it’s a great option for the cost and that it navigates tight spaces well. While you can set it to clean on its own, you can also control it via the app to ensure that it hits every spot you need in your home.
“This is my first robot vacuum, and I absolutely love it,” writes one verified reviewer. “With three cats, pet hair is a constant challenge, and I like to keep my house very clean. This vacuum has been a fantastic addition to my cleaning routine.”
This self-emptying vacuum from Shark is another popular option. According to the brand, it features powerful suction, so it can pick up pet hair, dirt and more on all surfaces, from carpet to hard floors. You’ll get up to 90 minutes of cleaning on one charge, and when the battery is running low, it’ll automatically return to its home base.
“I got my parents a Roborock vacuum and mop combo a while ago, and they talk all the time about how much time it saves them cleaning their hardwood floors, rugs, etc.,” says associate editor Lauren Witonsky.
According to the brand, the self-emptying base can handle up to nine weeks of dirt and dust.
“I got this one for my parents for Christmas because it has the regular robot vacuum that mops and cleans and it has a hydrojet system too that allows for additional cleaning the vacuum can’t do (think upholstery cleaning) and my mom loves it,” says editor Vivien Moon. “She has it programmed to clean nearly every day because they have a cat and she loves that it can do so much and do it well.”
How we chose
Our editors are constantly on the lookout for new, breaking shopping and product news stories that would be of interest to our readers. We chose to include the products listed in this piece because they are either loved by our editors or bestsellers with a greater than four-star average rating.
