Lightberry's Lumi Humanoid Wins Conditional U.S. Approval

Lightberry's Lumi Humanoid Wins Conditional U.S. Approval

The San Francisco startup secured an exemption from federal restrictions on foreign-produced robots, subject to manufacturing commitments and continued security reviews.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Lightberry has gotten conditional permission from the U.S. government for its Lumi humanoid robot, thus being able to market its products while under federal restrictions of foreign advanced robotic devices.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said about the waiver Oct. 30 after the Defense Department, officially called the Department of War now, examined the robot for any security risks.

This means that the robot will no longer be on the FCC's Covered List, meaning restrictions on new equipment authorizations of certain foreign-produced robots. This permission is conditional on the compliance of the company with its U.S. manufacturing plan and further product evaluations.

Lightberry said it is the first humanoid robot company in America to have received such a waiver.

It uses hardware that is similar to the one used in Chinese manufacturer Unitree's G1. Lightberry said that it has replaced its sensors, onboard computer, and software with its own ones to solve some security issues.

According to its manufacturing plan, the company is going to begin with the production of Lumi's body, head, and hands in America and then will add more components. It has not provided a timetable of its plans yet.

Lumi is about 127 centimeters tall and meant for commercial services like welcoming guests, answering queries, giving information, and capturing images.

Lightberry has a Founder Edition model available for purchase at the cost of $39,990, with delivery scheduled for 2026.

The ruling made by the FCC does not prove in any way that Lumi has performed independent safety tests and autonomous operation on customers' operations successfully.

Lightberry has not stated the number of customer deliveries and production. It could also have its exemption canceled if the company does not adhere to its manufacturing obligations and other approval requirements.