Ring launches a robotics division: a home camera drone and a patrol robot for businesses

Ring enters the security robot market

Ring, an Amazon-owned home security company, announced on Tuesday the creation of a Ring Robotics division and unveiled two devices: the Ring Drone Cam home drone and the Ring Rover Cam patrol robot for businesses. The report comes via TechCrunch. The company calls the drone a 'flying indoor security camera': it flies through rooms, surveys the home and notifies the owner if something goes wrong. If a Ring alarm is triggered in a particular part of the house, the drone is supposed to fly there and check what is happening. When not in use, it sits in a docking station.

What the devices can do

The Drone Cam shoots 2K video and is equipped with LED lighting for monitoring and recording in low light. It can be controlled through Amazon’s Alexa Home Map, and scheduled patrols can also be set up — for example, while you are on vacation. The Rover Cam for businesses moves along predefined routes at set times, streams continuously in 4K via the Ring mobile app, can automatically start recording when it detects a person, has a periscope camera for seeing over obstacles, and supports two-way audio — a remote user can talk to someone in the room through the robot. Both devices run on Ring’s own AI system, AI Pilot, which, according to the company, uses 'specialized vision models, sensors and cloud processing,' and the robots map the home or office themselves as they explore the space. 'It’s like having a security guard on patrol who never leaves their shift,' the company says.

Amazon’s second attempt in this market

Automated security is an area the tech industry has yet to master: in 2021, Amazon released the Astro home robot, which was initially positioned as a household assistant, then repurposed as a corporate security product, and seven months later was discontinued. Ring says the new robot was created with 'feedback from Amazon Astro customers' in mind, and the devices look similar.

Privacy and pricing

Ring has long faced criticism: critics argue that the company’s cameras have created informal surveillance networksthat police departments can — and regularly do — tap into. Similar objections will likely be raised about the new devices, given their potential for privacy intrusion. Ring claims both devices are built with 'privacy and security by design,' and that recordings are protected by TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption), which the company calls its 'strongest encryption by default.' It is unclear whether a local video storage option will be available — Ring cameras typically record to the cloud. The Rover Cam goes on sale on December 16 for $1,000, and the drone on January 27 of next year for $270.