Ati Robotics Builds 10,000-Pound China-Free Robots as US Ban Hits Chinese Humanoids
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Aug 4
Ati Robotics Builds 10,000-Pound China-Free Robots as US Ban Hits Chinese Humanoids
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Aug 4
Summary
Ati Robotics says its 10,000-pound tugger is effectively China-free and its pallet mover contains less than 5% Chinese parts, positioning the startup to gain from last week's US import ban.
Bangalore-based R&D and use of India’s EV supply chain let Ati build core hardware itself, including motors and robot arms, while keeping costs competitive despite avoiding many Chinese components.
The company already has several hundred robots deployed across warehouses and factories and more than 50 customers, with its first humanoid set to enter service later this year.
Some Chinese inputs remain—notably battery cells, gears and one lidar option—yet Ati says alternatives exist in South Korea, Japan, Germany and Taiwan, even if they cost more.
The broader ban on new Chinese humanoids and other advanced robots could squeeze smaller US robotics firms still dependent on Chinese hardware, while benefiting manufacturers assembling outside China, including planned US production near Detroit.