HardwareNov 11, 2026, 4:34 AM UTC·2 min read

Amazon Ring Drone Cam and Rover Cam bring AI patrols to homes

Amazon's Ring Rover Cam ships December 16 for $1,000, while the $250 Ring Drone Cam awaits FCC approval and a January 27, 2027 target date.

A small Ring security drone hovering in a living room next to a wheeled Ring Rover patrol robot with a raised camera mast. — Image: Ars Technica

Amazon is taking Ring cameras off the wall. The company announced the Ring Rover Cam and Ring Drone Cam on November 10, two AI-guided security devices that patrol homes and businesses on their own. The Rover is due to ship on December 16, 2026, and the Drone is planned for early 2027.

Both rely on what Amazon calls an AI Pilot, which combines the device cameras with vision models, on-device sensors and cloud processing to plan routes and steer around furniture. The system also maps a floor plan, either after a customer carries the drone through the space or after the Rover explores by itself, and can then suggest patrol points near side doors, windows or a business's cash register.

Ring Rover Cam: a $1,000 robot for business

The Rover is pitched as an autonomous security robot for businesses and costs $1,000. It records and livestreams at up to 4K, with cloud storage of up to 180 days for certain events. An adjustable mast lets it see over counters and shelves, and it carries a siren, a light tower and a microphone for two-way audio. Amazon says it covers up to 5,000 square feet (465 square meters).

The limits are clear: it works only on a single indoor floor, cannot climb stairs, and does not support flooring transitions above 1.375 inches (3.5 cm), curved edges, sunken areas or black glossy floors.

Ring Drone Cam: awaiting the FCC

The drone starts at $250, like the Ring Always Home Cam that was briefly offered by invitation in 2021. It still needs Federal Communications Commission authorization. If that arrives, Amazon aims to sell it on January 27, 2027. It films in 2K with a 148-degree field of view and 360-degree rotation, but flies for only 8 minutes under controlled conditions. Polished marble, wet tile, blank walls, glass and mirrors can degrade navigation. Scheduled routes require a Ring Protect subscription.

Privacy questions

Amazon promises "privacy and security without compromise", with LED indicators and screen notices when recording. Videos will use Ring's Throw Away the Key Encryption, which the Electronic Frontier Foundation calls an improvement but short of end-to-end encryption. Ring's record includes a 2023 FTC case over employee access to customer videos and weak safeguards that exposed 55,000 US accounts. Amazon's announcement does not mention facial recognition for the new devices.

Apps worth a look

SUMO: the number puzzle

Tap the right tiles, add them up, hit the target. Easy to learn, hard to master. Free, for all ages.

Dialo: learn languages by speaking

Talk to an AI conversation partner; every sentence comes back corrected and explained in your language. 9 languages, A1 to C2.

ediviewer: read EDI files like documents

Open EDIFACT and X12 messages, see every segment explained, convert to JSON/XML, export PDF and Excel. Runs locally, no upload.

giftdetect: the right gift in minutes

Pick who it is for, the occasion and their personality. The search engine reads product descriptions from local shops and ranks what fits. Free, no sign-up.

Tags:amazonringdroneroboticsprivacysecurity camera