Matic, maker of a robot vacuum and mop, has become the first robovac to receive an FCC waiver from the agency's ban on foreign-made robots. The waiver, granted Oct 2 for models 4MA0001 and 4DK0008, allows import, marketing, and sale. But Matic didn't need it: its radios were approved years ago, and it uses an off-the-shelf Intel AX210 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that carries its own FCC approval.
The company also assembles its robots in Mountain View, California, so it isn't subject to import bans. The waiver could theoretically help if Matic built new products outside the US, but it's specific to two models, not a blanket approval. The FCC is trying to close loopholes and may require manufacturers to disclose all components, so the waiver offers some protection if any foreign component causes issues.
Matic admits it doesn't yet source 65 percent of its components from US suppliers, the threshold for "Made in the US." CEO Mehul Nariyawala says the company is onshoring more production and sourcing critical components from US companies when possible, including its core compute platform from Nvidia. He says Matic went from shipping 1,500 robots a year ago to 17,000 now, and may be the only floor-cleaning robot built in America. Unlike some other companies that received FCC waivers, Matic is publicly committing to more US manufacturing.