Amazon’s Ring has revived its flying security camera and unveiled a wheeled patrol robot, giving its surveillance business a new direction.
According to Neowin, the Ring Drone Cam will fly around homes, while the Ring Rover Cam will patrol commercial premises. Both belong to the new Ring Robotics range, which Amazon describes with the enthusiasm usually reserved for inventions it has forgotten announcing before.
Ring unveiled its original indoor security drone in 2020. Six years later, it still hasn’t reached general availability, although the company has certainly proven the announcement can fly.
The new Drone Cam carries a 2K camera with a 148-degree field of view and can rotate through 360 degrees. Two LED lights illuminate dark rooms.
Owners can send it to selected locations through the Ring app or configure flight routes. A connected alarm or sensor can trigger a flight to a previously designated patrol point, saving householders the trouble of checking a suspicious noise themselves.
Navigation comes from AI Pilot, which combines camera images and onboard sensors with cloud processing. During setup, the system builds a floor plan, suggests places worth monitoring, and plans routes around obstacles.
The Rover Cam takes the same idea into workplaces on wheels. Its adjustable periscope camera can peer over counters and shelving, streaming and recording video at up to 4K while the robot moves.
A built-in siren and light tower provide deterrence, while two-way audio lets an owner address whoever appears on camera. Businesses can arrange patrols or dispatch the machine to investigate an alert.
Amazon has tried the robot security guard business before. Astro for Business launched in 2023 at $2,349.99 and was discontinued in July 2024, giving it about eight months to demonstrate the benefits of buying into Amazon’s robotic future.
Ring says feedback from Astro customers helped shape Rover. The new machine concentrates on security duties, with a considerably lower $999.99 price.
Amazon says the drone’s camera switches off when docked. Rover’s Sleep Mode retracts its periscope and disables the microphone, while recording indicators make the device’s activity visible.
Scheduled patrols and certain recording features require a compatible Ring Protect subscription as buying the guard does not cover all its shifts.
Rover is available to preorder in the US, with shipping scheduled for 16 December 2026. The $249.99 Drone Cam is due on 27 January 2027, subject to FCC authorisation, which Amazon says it has yet to obtain.
