Ring Robotics Debuts Indoor Security Drone and Rover Cam Robot

The Rover Cam is a rolling robot for business premises. It can follow set routes at set times, streams continuous 4K video to Ring's mobile app and can start recording automatically when it detects a person. A periscope camera lets it see over obstacles, and two-way audio allows a remote user to talk to whoever is on site, whether an employee or an intruder. It launches December 16 at $1,000.

AI Pilot and privacy

Both machines run on a proprietary system called AI Pilot, which Ring says combines "specialized vision models, sensors, and cloud processing" to navigate autonomously. According to the company, they build a detailed map of a home or office simply by exploring it.

Privacy is the obvious sticking point. Ring has long faced criticism that its cameras form informal surveillance networks police can tap into. The company says both products were built with privacy and security in mind and that their video is protected by TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption), which it calls its strongest default encryption yet. It is unclear whether local video storage will be offered; Ring cameras generally record to the cloud.

The category has a rocky history. Amazon launched its Astro home robot in 2021, later repositioned it as a small-business security product and then discontinued it seven months after that shift. Ring says Astro customer feedback inspired the Rover Cam, which resembles that robot.