Ring unveils home security drone and $1,000 business robot

The Ring Drone Cam is designed to fly between rooms when residents are away, and can investigate the area if a Ring alarm is triggered. It records in 2K, has LED lights for low-light video and can be controlled through Amazon’s Alexa Home Map or scheduled to patrol at set times. When idle, it remains in a docking bay. Ring says the drone will launch on January 27 next year for $270.

The business device, Ring Rover Cam, can follow scheduled routes and stream continuous 4K video to Ring’s mobile app. It can be set to record automatically when it detects a person. A periscope camera is intended to look over obstacles, while two-way audio lets a remote user speak to someone near the robot. The Rover goes on sale December 16 for $1,000.

Ring says AI Pilot combines vision models, sensors and cloud processing, enabling the devices to map a home or office as they explore. The company also says recordings are protected by TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption), which it describes as its strongest default encryption. Ring has not clarified whether users will be able to store video locally; its cameras generally save recordings to the cloud.

The launch comes amid longstanding criticism that Ring cameras can contribute to unofficial surveillance networks accessible to police. It also recalls Amazon’s Astro robot, announced in 2021 as a domestic helper and later repositioned for business security. Amazon discontinued Astro seven months after that shift, according to the source article. Ring says its new devices drew inspiration from feedback from Astro customers.