Automatic pill dispensers

1. 5

   Regulator-cleared or mass market

   A regulator has cleared it where approval applies: FDA clearance or approval for a medical robot, a permit to run with no one aboard for a self-driving vehicle, or an FAA approval for routine drone flights. Or: Widely sold: sales in the hundreds of thousands, or a product category you can buy in ordinary shops.

2. 4

   Paying customersThis robot

   Delivered to customers who pay for it, beyond a trial, or a paid service the public can use.

   Placed by: Hero said it had dispensed more than 50 million pills in every US state since 2018 (24 Sept 2021); Hero went on sale to US consumers, backed by $12 million in Series A funding. It cost $299 up front plus a subscription, or $19.95 a month on a two-year plan (16 Oct 2018).

3. 3

   Pilot

   Working with a named customer in a real setting, as a trial.

4. 2

   Pre-orders

   Orders, reservations or deposits taken, with nothing delivered yet.

5. 1

   Demo only

   Shown in videos, staged events or a factory, with no units working for customers.

What we couldn't confirm. Spencer's dispenser is FDA-listed as Class I (a registration for low-risk devices, not an FDA clearance). Adherence figures (Hero's 98%, Spencer's 95%) come from the companies and were left out. No user counts for 2026 could be confirmed. The Spencer deal-completion date is read from a day/month stamp on the article (08/09) and the deal's August 2026 announcement.