Amazon's Ring Launches Drone Cam Flying Camera and Rover Cam Patrol Robot

Amazon-owned Ring has launched a robotics division, Ring Robotics, with two autonomous security cameras that move around indoor spaces. The Ring Drone Cam is a small flying camera that patrols homes. The Ring Rover Cam is a wheeled robot built for businesses. Both were announced on 10 November.

The Drone Cam costs $249.99 and is due to ship in the US on 27 January 2027. For now Ring is only taking email sign-ups, because Amazon says the drone has not received the authorisation required by the US Federal Communications Commission. It cannot be offered for sale or lease until that authorisation arrives. The Rover Cam costs $999.99, is available to preorder through Ring's US website and ships on 16 December 2026. Ring has published US pricing and dates only, and UK availability has not been confirmed.

"For years, customers told us they wanted eyes in the places a fixed camera couldn't reach." Jamie Siminoff, Ring founder and chief inventor

Ring Drone Cam

The Drone Cam sits in a dock when it isn't in use, and its camera is switched off while docked. It can fly preset routes on a schedule or be launched manually. It also takes off automatically and heads to preset patrol points when a compatible Ring camera, sensor or alarm detects an incident.

Ring lists these specifications:

• 2K video at 1,920 × 1,920, with a 148-degree field of view and 360-degree rotation
• Two built-in LED lights for low-light conditions
• Up to eight minutes per flight, tested by Ring under controlled conditions with a new, fully charged battery
• Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, with a recommended minimum upload speed of 5Mbps
• Drone dimensions of 171.8 × 136.9 × 33.15mm, and a dock of 270 × 233.5 × 78.3mm
• Indoor use only, with an operating temperature of 5°C to 35°C

The drone has no microphone or speaker, so it cannot record audio or offer two-way talk, and it has no siren. Scheduled patrols require a compatible Ring Protect subscription. Ring has not confirmed which tier is needed.

Ring Rover Cam

The Rover Cam is pitched at shops and offices. Ring describes it as "like having a guard on patrol who never clocks out." It can map and cover up to 5,000 square feet of a single floor, but it cannot climb or descend stairs.

The Rover Cam can:

• Patrol scheduled routes
• Travel to saved rooms or viewpoints
• Respond automatically when a compatible Ring device is triggered
• Run a 360-degree scan when it arrives at a location

It records at up to 4K and has a 152-degree diagonal field of view. An adjustable periscope camera lets it see over counters and shelving. It also offers two-way audio, a remotely activated siren and an LED light tower, and it can detect people and send alerts while docked.

It does not record around the clock. Ring says it records when it detects people while docked, and whenever it is moving, patrolling, travelling to a viewpoint or being used in Live View.

Other specifications:

• Size and weight: 424 × 250 × 440mm and 9.35kg
• Charging: rechargeable lithium-ion battery, with a charge time of roughly 45 minutes
• Connectivity: dual-band Wi-Fi, with a recommended minimum upload speed of 15Mbps
• Operating temperature: 0°C to 35°C, indoors only

Ring says the Rover Cam is not suitable for use around children under three or small pets. A subscription is required for scheduled patrols and some video-storage features, and the exact plan has not been confirmed.

AI Pilot and privacy

Both robots run on Ring's AI Pilot navigation system. Ring says it combines cameras, specialised vision models, onboard sensors and cloud processing. During setup, AI Pilot maps the space, identifies rooms and suggests spots that need extra attention, such as doors, windows, tills and corridors. It then plans routes around furniture and shelving.

On privacy, both devices have visible indicators that show when they are recording, and the Rover Cam also shows its recording status on a screen. The Rover Cam has a Sleep mode that retracts the periscope and switches off the microphone. Ring says recorded video is protected by its Throw Away the Key encryption, which it describes as its strongest default encryption.

Ring has not said whether either device supports local storage. TechCrunch noted that Ring cameras generally record to the cloud, but said local storage for these products is unclear.

Ring's second attempt at a flying camera

This is not Ring's first flying camera. In September 2020 it announced the Always Home Cam, an autonomous indoor drone priced at $249.99, the same as the new Drone Cam. Amazon opened an invite list for it a year later. The Drone Cam has a different name and design but keeps the same core idea: a docked camera that records only while flying.

The Rover Cam follows Amazon's Astro robotics programme. Astro for Business launched in November 2023 as a security robot for small and medium-sized firms. Amazon discontinued it in July 2024, roughly seven months after launch.

The Rover Cam is due first, with US deliveries from 16 December. The Drone Cam's 27 January ship date depends on FCC sign-off.