Distributor of China's Unitree robots to start building its own machines in the US after FCC ban

RoboStore, the US company that had been the chief North American distributor of humanoid robots and four-legged machines made by China's Unitree Robotics, has announced a change in strategy. Instead of reselling Chinese hardware, it plans to set up its own production of commercial robots at a 66,000-square-foot plant on Long Island, New York — with a full launch planned for the first fiscal quarter of 2027.

Why the pivot became necessary

Unitree makes some of the most affordable and popular models of humanoid robots. Organizations such as Harvard and MIT, along with tech companies like Amazon and Nvidia, bought them through RoboStore for research and development. According to founder and CEO Teddy Haggerty, the company has sold and deployed more than 1,500 robots over the years, working with the likes of Cisco, OpenAI, Nvidia and over 150 universities.

Thoughts of in-house manufacturing surfaced about a year before the announcement: while helping customers with deployment, the team came to understand exactly how businesses wanted to use robots for specific tasks. Haggerty freely admits that for most companies, specialized robotic arms like the products from Standard Bots or Universal Robots are a better fit than a general-purpose humanoid robot that vendors try to sell as an “all-purpose” solution.

The role of government pressure

Legislation sped up the plans. The American Security Robotics Act was introduced in the Senate in March, and the GUARD Act appeared in the House of Representatives in June. The pivotal event, however, came in July: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned imports of new models of foreign robots, including popular robot vacuums as well as Unitree's humanoid machines and robot dogs. Officially the move was justified on national security grounds and by potential cyber vulnerabilities, but it clearly nudges companies toward building robots domestically.

By that point RoboStore had already wound down its distribution business, pledging to keep supporting existing customers with parts, repairs and upgrades. A separate company, Robo Inc., has been created to run the new manufacturing and systems integration operations.

What they'll be building

Several products are in development under the Robo Inc. brand. Among them is a humanoid torso on a wheeled chassis for healthcare and concierge services, equipped with cameras and sensors to take basic vital signs: temperature and blood oxygen levels. Also on the roadmap are a specialized quadruped robot for security tasks and a platform for educators and researchers. “Universities need a product that meets US requirements,” Haggerty notes.

Prototypes are already being 3D-printed and tested with select customers; commercial versions are promised to roll out of the new plant by early 2027. The company, which grew for years without outside investment, is now preparing for its first major funding round — and, according to Haggerty, interest from former customers is a notable help.

Source: Ars Technica