Amazon unveils AI powered Ring security drone and robot

Amazon has announced two new autonomous security devices for the Ring brand, comprising a flying camera and a wheeled robot designed for indoor monitoring. The Ring Drone Cam and Ring Rover Cam are scheduled to reach customers by the end of 2026 and early 2027, respectively. The company states that both products rely on an AI Pilot system which utilises onboard cameras, specialised vision models, and cloud processing to plan patrol routes and navigate around obstacles such as furniture. This launch follows a previous attempt by Amazon to popularise a flying security camera, a move that had already generated significant privacy concerns among consumers and experts.

The Ring Drone Cam is positioned as a direct successor to the Ring Always Home Cam, which was available only by invitation in 2021. Priced at 250 dollars, the new drone is expected to become available for purchase on 27 January 2027, subject to authorisation from the Federal Communications Commission. The device features a 148-degree field of view with 360-degree rotation and 2K video resolution. Two LED lights activate in low-light conditions to illuminate the scene. However, the drone is limited to eight minutes of flight time on a fully charged battery under controlled conditions and includes a docking station for charging. Amazon notes that performance may be degraded in environments with reflective surfaces, blank matte walls, or transparent surfaces such as frameless glass and mirrors.

Customers who subscribe to the Amazon Ring Protect plan can set specific routes and schedules for the drone. It can automatically fly along these routes when responding to notifications from other Ring cameras, sensors, or alarms. The device can be controlled directly from the Alexa Home Map, an interactive map that displays all of a customer’s Amazon-linked devices. Amazon describes the drone as providing an autonomous way to check on a home, whether the customer is away or present. The setup process involves the customer carrying the drone through indoor spaces to allow the AI Pilot to digitally map the floor plan and identify specific rooms and patrol points.

The Ring Rover Cam is priced at 1,000 dollars and is described as an autonomous security robot designed specifically for business use. It is already available for pre-order and is scheduled to start shipping on 16 December 2026. The robot is inspired by customer feedback regarding the Amazon Astro robot, another invite-only beta product. The Ring Rover can livestream and record in up to 4K video resolution while patrolling or performing 360-degree scans. Videos triggered by doorbell rings, motion events, or live view events are stored in the cloud for up to 180 days for sharing and replaying.

Unlike the drone, the Ring Rover is limited to single-floor indoor environments as it lacks stair-climbing capability. It is not compatible with curved edges, sunken areas, flooring transitions greater than 1.375 inches, or black glossy floors. To compensate for its ground-based view, the robot features an automatically adjustable mast to peer over counters and shelving. It can cover up to 5,000 square feet. Additional security features include a siren, a light tower to announce its presence, and a microphone for two-way audio communication.

Amazon touts the new products as offering privacy and security without compromise, citing features such as LED indicators and screen notifications that inform customers when recordings are active. However, Ring has been implicated in previous privacy and security scandals. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission charged Ring with allowing employees to watch video recordings of customers’ private spaces and noted lackluster safeguards that allowed hackers to access 55,000 US customer accounts. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has described Ring’s new Throw Away the Key Encryption, introduced in September 2026, as an improvement but still short of end-to-end encryption. The organisation has also criticised the company’s approach to privacy, including features that allow law enforcement to request footage from users’ devices. There is currently no mention of facial recognition in the new robotics products, although Ring has recently enabled a Familiar Faces feature for fixed doorbell cameras, which is the subject of a class action lawsuit.