Lightberry Lumi is the First and Only American Humanoid Robot Company cleared by the U.S. Government

Lightberry, the company building autonomous robots that live and work around people, led by Ali Attar, Stephan Koenigstorfer, and Stephan Wolski, announced that its Lumi line of humanoids has received approval from the U.S. Department of War (DoW).

Following the approval, the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau exempted Lumi from the FCC Covered List, making Lightberry the first, and currently only, humanoid robotics company to receive the exemption.

How Lumi Earned the Exemption.

In July, the FCC added foreign-produced advanced robotic devices, including humanoids, to its Covered List, which identifies equipment considered a national security risk to the U.S. Devices on the list cannot obtain the FCC authorization required for import, marketing, or sale in the country.

Manufacturers can seek a review from the Department of War (DoW). Devices granted Conditional Approval are exempt from the Covered List.

In Public Notice DA 26-1181, the FCC described Conditional Approval as a specific DoW determination that a device does not pose risks to U.S. national security. Lightberry joins a small group of approved robotics companies and is currently the only humanoid robot company among them.

Lightberry earned the approval with two commitments:

• Full control over what runs inside Lumi. Lightberry replaces the robot's sensors, onboard computer, and software with its own. This allows Lightberry to create a delightful experience around interacting with robots, while addressing all privacy concerns raised by the DoW.

  
  

• American manufacturing. Lightberry's U.S. manufacturing starts with Lumi's body, head, and hands, and the rest of the robot will follow. The approval is tied to this plan and to ongoing vetting of Lumi.

"A humanoid robot works right next to people, with cameras and microphones, so you need to know exactly what's running inside it," said Ali Attar, co-founder and CEO of Lightberry. "That's why we replaced every sensor and all of the software on Lumi, and why we're investing in American manufacturing. This approval confirms that approach, and it means Lumi robots are cleared to go to work across the country."