Ring launches a robotics division with a home security drone and a robot for businesses
Ring is launching a robotics division with a home flying drone (2K, $270, from January 2027) and a business patrolling robot (4K, $1000, from December 16), both controlled by the proprietary AI Pilot system for autonomous navigation and mapping of spaces.
Ring, owned by Amazon, has announced the creation of a new division, Ring Robotics, along with two devices powered by its own AI Pilot system. The Ring Drone Cam is a flying home security camera that records in 2K, has LED lighting for night recording, docks at a charging station, and can be controlled via Alexa Home Map or scheduled for specific times. The device integrates with other Ring products – if an alarm is triggered in a particular part of the home, the drone, according to the company, will fly to the location and check the situation.
The second device, the Ring Rover Cam, is intended for businesses. It is a wheeled robot that streams continuous 4K video to the Ring mobile app, featuring a periscope camera for seeing over obstacles and two-way audio that lets a remote user communicate with a person on the premises. Depending on settings, the robot can automatically start recording when it detects a person and patrol scheduled routes.
Both devices, according to the company, use the same proprietary AI Pilot system, which combines specialized vision models, sensors, and cloud processing for autonomous navigation and independently creating a map of the space. The company states that video is protected by encryption referred to as TAKE, described as the company's "strongest default encryption" to date, but it is not clear whether there is an option to store recordings locally – Ring cameras typically record to the cloud.
The Ring Rover Cam will be available starting December 16 for $1000, and the Ring Drone Cam starting January 27, 2027 for $270. A similar product, the 2021 Amazon Astro home robot, was pulled from the market by the company after seven months following an unsuccessful repositioning as a business security device. Ring has long faced criticism regarding privacy and the linking of its cameras to police databases, and similar concerns are expected for the new devices as well.
Why it matters
The products extend automated physical security from fixed cameras to mobile robots that map spaces on their own and patrol on a schedule – for homes and small businesses, this could replace part of the role of a human guard or static cameras. At the same time, this is another step by Amazon/Ring into the home surveillance space, which has previously drawn criticism over links to police and uncertainty surrounding cloud video storage; a similar company product (Amazon Astro) failed to gain traction on the market before.
Two audiences, two different impacts
What this means
For individuals
Starting in January 2027, home users will be able to buy a flying security camera for $270 that patrols the apartment on a schedule and responds when an alarm is triggered; the question remains, however, how recordings are stored and what this means for privacy, since Ring typically keeps recordings in the cloud.
For a business
Companies are being given the option to deploy an autonomous security robot for $1000 instead of a human guard, but they must take into account that video (according to available information) standardly goes to the cloud, along with the risk of criticism over monitoring employees or customers – a similar product (Amazon Astro) was pulled from the market by the company in the past after seven months due to lack of success.
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