Ring home security cameras – including Ring doorbells – offer a great way to "keep an eye" on your home when you're not around, but, until now, all you could really do to investigate anything you saw was to use the built in speaker, or go home and check it out. Now Ring Robotics is kicking things up a notch with investigative tools; a drone and a robot that can go on patrol.
- Ring Drone Cam announced
- Amazon USA already taking pre-orders for $249.99 'Limited Edition'
- Flight time 8 minutes
- 2K resolution
Why is a drone the next step for Ring? Jamie Siminoff, the founder and inventor of Ring, explained: “For years, customers told us they wanted eyes in the places a fixed camera couldn’t reach, and peace of mind in the spots they’d never want one.”
As if that wasn't clear enough, he adds "The honest answer wasn’t more cameras; it meant reimagining what a security device could be."
In an era where privacy features are a key part of all security cameras – many Ring models feature doors that can be closed over the lens – it's makes sense that people would want a device that can only occasionally go into the rooms where they choose not to put cameras.
I, for example, do have a Ring camera in the bedroom, but many would not.
There are a lot of technical hurdles, which is presumably why – despite earlier discussions of a Ring drone way back in 2020 – we're only finally seeing it for real now. It works in two ways: occasional automated patrols or by being deployed on request from the app.
If a camera or sensor is triggered, the drone will fly to a set patrol point to give it a view – in other words, you map the house/property for the drone, and it'll go to places via routes it knows are safe.
It boasts a 2K camera with a 148° field of view and can, of course, like any quadcopter, rotate itself (horizontally) to point in any direction.
The drone will be well under the FAA's 250g limit, priced at just under $250 when it arrives, and is assembled in Texas. At this price, the self-landing charging station is an extraordinary achievement.
While the drone solves the problem of investigating a home, it will presumably be limited by a need to return and recharge on a regular basis.
Bigger businesses (with reliably flat floors that people never leave things on – like warehouses) would benefit from a floor-based device that could do similar things, and Ring Robotics have also delivered there – with the near-$1000 Ring Rover.
It patrols on wheels for about 30 minutes, and has a 4K camera atop which it can lift higher to get a better view using its own powered periscope-like pole. It, too, has a docking station to return to and charge.
It can stream video continuously for that half hour at 4K for the whole patrol.
People have asked about the security; Ring pointed to a TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption) security system which means the drone itself should be hard to access, though of course video is stored on Ring's servers just like that of the stationary cameras.
Before you ask "aren't they going to be noisy?", Ring will tell you that's the point. Deterrence is the goal. Drones aren't quiet and the Rover has siren as well as a light on the tower: "If someone’s there who shouldn’t be, a flying drone overhead or a roving robot with a siren makes it clear they’ve been spotted. Both devices are built to deter, not just monitor."
The drone will ship on January 27 for $249.99, and it's already possible to pre-order a "limited edition" from Amazon 🇺🇸.
The Rover is due even sooner, December 16, for $999.99, and the Ring Rover pre-order on Amazon USA doesn't suggest a limit at all!
