FCC grants Intel one-year reprieve for factory robots

Intel has won a one-year waiver from the FCC after the agency's new rules on foreign-made robots created uncertainty about its factory equipment. The chipmaker requested the exemption in October, saying it was seeking relief 'out of an abundance of caution' to keep its factory robots running.

The confusion began after the FCC published its order on October 22, granting Intel's request to keep using its foreign-made robots in its American chip manufacturing facilities for one year. The equipment in question consists of automated guided vehicles, which run on 'tracks or predefined paths' and often require an operator to carry materials around warehouses and factory floors.

The robots Intel relies on are typically made by Japanese companies like Murata Machinery and Daifuku Co. However, the specific models Intel uses were only identified in a 'confidential appendix' attached to its waiver request, so the public record does not show exactly which machines are involved.

The FCC's new rules are focused mainly on new models of mobile robots, including humanoid robots and robot vacuums. Robots that were previously approved for sale in the United States can still be imported. Even so, the agency's rules appear to limit major modifications to 'previously authorized devices,' adding another layer of uncertainty for companies that depend on existing equipment.

In its filing, Intel said it was 'unclear' whether its robotic vehicles are covered by the new rules. It requested relief anyway so that its operations would not be put at risk if the rules were read to include them.