Lightberry’s Lumi humanoid robot has received a conditional exemption from the Federal Communications Commission’s Covered List following a U.S. national-security review, clearing one regulatory obstacle for the San Francisco startup as it prepares to sell its interactive robot.
The company announced the decision on October 30. An FCC public notice names Lightberry Holdings’ Lumi interactive mobile robots among devices granted conditional approval by the U.S. Department of War. The exemption is specific to Lumi and does not amount to general authorization for other humanoids built on similar hardware. It also does not mean that Lumi has completed the separate FCC equipment-certification process required before ordinary customer sales.
The approval comes with conditions. Lightberry must follow its proposed plan to move manufacturing to the United States and remain subject to updated product vetting. The FCC can withdraw the exemption if the company fails to comply with the plan or if information provided in its application proves false or misleading.
Lightberry says it has replaced the sensors, onboard computer and software of the Unitree G1-based platform with its own systems, giving it control over the robot’s computing and interaction stack. Its U.S. manufacturing plan begins with Lumi’s body, head and hands, with other components expected to follow. The company has not provided a detailed timeline for completing that transition.
Lumi stands approximately 127 centimeters tall and is designed for customer-facing roles such as greeting visitors, answering questions, guiding guests and providing entertainment. Lightberry previously opened reservations for a Founder Edition priced at $39,990.
