Washington wants to shield America’s robotics industry from Chinese technology. The catch: US researchers say the same restrictions could deprive them of the affordable machines they need to compete.
The campaign accelerated after the FCC restricted new foreign-made drones in December 2025. On July 28, the agency added “foreign-produced advanced robotic devices” to its Covered List, blocking authorization of new models weighing more than 4.4 pounds that can move on the ground, sense their surroundings and connect to networks. Previously approved robots remain available, while stationary industrial arms, medical devices and small toys are exempt. Evan Beard, CEO of Standard Bots, called it “one of the strongest technology-security actions in modern US history.”1
The White House-backed national security panel said connected robots could allow malign actors to “surveil Americans,” strengthen foreign intelligence services or remotely commandeer machines. It also warned that connected power inverters could be switched off or used to exfiltrate data, potentially exposing renewable-energy systems, batteries and data centers.2
Although the rules apply broadly to foreign production, China is the main target. Beijing has more than 2 million industrial robots operating in its factories—five times the US total—and researchers previously found an apparent backdoor in Unitree robot dogs.3
The consumer impact extends well beyond humanoids. The definition also captures future robot vacuums, lawnmowers, delivery machines and warehouse robots; existing Roombas are not being confiscated, but newer foreign models may never receive approval.4
Researchers fear the protection could backfire. Chinese platforms offer what one industry official called “the best price-to-capability ratio available,” with a Unitree quadruped costing about $4,600 versus as much as $278,000 for a comparable Boston Dynamics machine. An industry review found that 90% of recent US university robotics papers relied on Unitree hardware. Supporters see a secure domestic supply chain; critics see laboratories priced out before American alternatives are ready.5