robot vacuum maker

The robotics company Matic has received a waiver from a US Federal Communications Commission ban, becoming the first robot vacuum maker to do so. The FCC restriction targets connected devices with links to covered foreign manufacturers, and the waiver grants Matic conditional approval. Commenters note the waiver is largely symbolic for the company, which argues it does not rely on the affected supply chains. The decision is drawing attention in robotics and tech policy circles as a signal of how the rules will be applied.

The FCC has granted an exemption to a robot vacuum manufacturer from its ban on foreign-made robotics equipment, PCMag reports. The exemption allows the company's robotic vacuums to continue being sold in the US despite new restrictions covering connected robotics devices made abroad. Further details on the maker and the grounds for the waiver were not given in the available reports.

iRobot's Root, a small programmable robot designed to teach children coding, is back in the spotlight following coverage by IEEE Spectrum. The robot, which draws lines and can be programmed by beginners, was originally developed by Root Robotics before iRobot, the maker of Roomba vacuum cleaners, acquired the company in 2019. Coverage of the device has renewed discussion about its place in classrooms and the future of educational robotics.