Amazon-owned Ring announced Ring Robotics on 10 November: a flying indoor security camera and a ground robot that patrols business premises. The products can move to investigate an alert, instead of recording from a fixed spot.
The announcement follows a smart lock and five new cameras that Ring announced in early October. Together they extend Ring from recording security events to responding to them.
What Ring Robotics adds
Ring Drone Cam is a small flying camera for the inside of a home.
It costs US$249.99 and is due to ship in the United States from 27 January 2027, but it still needs Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorisation before it can be sold or leased there. Owners can set flight routes and schedules, send it out on demand, or let it fly to preset points when a connected Ring camera, sensor or alarm is triggered. It records 2K video with a 148-degree view, can rotate 360 degrees and has two LED lights for dark rooms.
Ring Rover Cam is a ground robot for shops, warehouses, offices and other business sites. It costs US$999.99 and is due to ship in the US from 16 December 2026. It follows scheduled patrol routes, moves to preset points when connected Ring devices detect activity, and scans 360 degrees on arrival. Its camera sits on an adjustable mast that rises to see over counters and shelves, and records up to 4K video. It also has two-way audio, a siren and a light tower.
Both robots run on AI Pilot, Ring’s navigation system. It uses cameras, computer vision, onboard sensors and cloud processing to build a floor plan, suggest patrol points such as doors and windows, plan routes and steer around furniture and shelves. An owner carries the drone through the home during set-up, while the Rover can explore on its own.
The smart lock and cameras
Ring’s first smart lock, announced in October, costs about US$249 with US availability planned for early 2027. It fits a standard single-cylinder deadbolt without extra wiring and opens with a fingerprint, a backlit touchscreen keypad, the Ring app or Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. If the battery dies, the owner turns a built-in dial by hand to generate enough power to unlock. Ring describes this as an emergency measure, not a way to run the lock without a battery.
The app lets owners limit who can enter and when, such as a dog walker on Tuesdays between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The lock uses Amazon Sidewalk, a shared low-bandwidth network supported by nearby Amazon devices, not only the home’s Wi-Fi. Sidewalk coverage depends on location.
The October range also has four cameras using Ring’s Retinal Vision 4K imaging: Outdoor Cam 4K Plus (US$149.99), Spotlight Cam 4K Plus with a 550-lumen light (US$199.99), Floodlight Cam 4K Plus (US$219.99) and Indoor Cam 4K (US$99.99). The Outdoor Cam offers battery, plug-in, hardwired, solar and Power over Ethernet (PoE) options, where one network cable carries power and data. The Indoor Cam has a physical privacy shutter. Round-the-clock recording depends on the device, its set-up and a Ring subscription.
A fifth camera, the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam 2K (US$69.99), turns 360 degrees and tilts 175 degrees to follow movement, and its shutter also cuts off the microphone.
Privacy questions
Ring says the Drone Cam powers down its camera while docked, and the Rover’s Sleep Mode retracts the mast and switches off the microphone. Both robots show LED recording lights, and Ring says video is protected by its encryption system, Throw Away the Key (TAKE). The company says the devices are meant to be seen and heard: the drone’s propellers make noise and the Rover has a visible light tower.
Background
Ring, owned by Amazon, is known for video doorbells and fixed cameras. The robotics range is its first moving security devices.
