Ati Robotics' factory humanoid cleared for sale after US security review

Ati Robotics said on November 6 that the US Department of War conditionally exempted five of its products, including its Sherpa Mecha humanoid robot, from the FCC's Covered List following a national security review. The exemption was published October 30 under document DA 26-1181. According to the company, Sherpa Mecha was one of only two humanoid robots cleared as of that date, and the only one specifically designed for factory work rather than general purpose tasks. Another cleared product, the Sherpa 10K, is a tugger robot capable of moving loads up to 10,000 pounds, useful for heavy material handling in industrial settings. Ati Robotics stated that its robots have together completed more than 2 million autonomous missions across more than 70 factories, with a 99% mission success rate. The company also said that typical deployments at new factory sites take four weeks or less to get up and running. Clearing this kind of national security review matters for continued sales in the US market, since products on the Covered List face restrictions tied to national security concerns, and since July 28, 2026, foreign-produced advanced robotic devices have been placed on that list unless cleared through such a review.

Why it matters

Regulatory clearance lets a factory-focused humanoid robot keep selling in the US at a time when robotics supply chains face growing security scrutiny.

Source: Ati Robotics