Amazon unveiled sci-fi-like cameras. One flies around the house, the other patrols on wheels

Smart home cameras have been with us for a while now, and we practically consider them standard. But Amazon has now introduced an almost futuristic way of monitoring indoor spaces, and it will take a long time to get used to it before it catches on. The Ring Drone Cam will take off from its docking station, fly through the apartment, and share footage of what’s happening to your phone. Meanwhile, its partner, the Ring Rover Cam, will patrol stores or company warehouses on wheels.

Ring Drone Cam flies out when a home alarm is triggered

The drone opens a new line of Ring Robotics, and according to Amazon, you can send it on patrol anytime from the Ring app. You can also set routes and regular flights for it in the app, but this will require a subscription for about a hundred per month. Furthermore, the home itself can dispatch it: when another Ring camera, sensor, or alarm is triggered, the drone automatically flies to the relevant locations. It records in 2K with a 148° field of view, rotates 360°, and illuminates in the dark with a pair of LEDs. While in the dock, the camera is off and only starts recording when in flight.

However, it won’t be a discreet guard that sneaks up on an uninvited guest without being noticed. According to CNBC reporters, its propellers are loud, and Ring presents this as intentional – the buzzing sound above them is meant to deter burglars. The Ring Drone Cam will not serve as a replacement for outdoor cameras either – it is not allowed to fly outside the house because US regulations require the pilot to keep the drone in sight.

According to Ring, the drone can stay in the air for a maximum of eight minutes on a single charge. According to DroneXL‘s calculations, each minute of flight means roughly eight minutes in the dock. During the initial setup, you must carry it throughout the entire apartment to create a map, and it can be confused by shiny floors, mirrors, glass, or bare walls. Most calculations are also left to the cloud, so according to American journalists, it won’t be able to do much without internet – at most, it will land safely.

For Ring, this is essentially a return to an old dream. The company showcased a very similar drone called Always Home Cam back in 2020, for the same price of 249.99 dollars. However, it was only offered by invitation and never made it to general sale. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff claims the team has been working on the flying camera since 2016.

Rover Cam peeks over shelves with its periscope

The second new product is primarily intended for businesses. The Rover Cam is a wheeled robot that can map up to approximately 465 m² of area on its own, suggest places for inspection such as doors, windows, or cash registers, and patrol them according to a schedule, for example, after closing hours. On site, it can look around 360°, and its retractable mast with a camera allows it to peek over counters and shelves. The catch is that the robot can only move on one floor. It cannot overcome stairs, and it will also be stopped by a threshold higher than 3.5 cm or a shiny black floor.

Intruders are meant to be deterred by a siren, a prominent light beacon, and two-way audio, through which you can speak to them from your mobile phone. The robot streams and records video in up to 4K resolution throughout its journey and monitors people’s movement even while charging.

The Rover Cam is based on the Astro robot, whose business version Amazon discontinued in 2024 less than a year after its launch and refunded customers.

Robot to launch in December, drone in January

The Rover Cam can be pre-ordered in the USA for 999.99 dollars (approximately 21,700 CZK) and will start shipping to customers on December 16. The Drone Cam will cost 249.99 dollars (approximately 5,400 CZK), and its deliveries are expected to begin on January 27, 2027. However, the drone currently does not have FCC approval, without which it cannot be sold. There is no mention of its arrival in Europe yet.

Would you let a drone into your home to guard your apartment?

Sources: Amazon, CNBC, eWeek, DroneXL, SiliconAngle