After a decade of development and several false starts, Amazon’s Ring has officially launched its “Ring Robotics” category, introducing autonomous, mobile security devices. The lineup features the much-anticipated Ring Drone Cam for residential use and the heavy-duty Ring Rover Cam for enterprise monitoring.
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Shipping on January 27, 2027, for $249.99 (roughly R4,500), the Ring Drone Cam is a lightweight, 165-gram quadcopter equipped with a 2K front camera and a 1080p bottom camera. Integrated LED lights provide low-light illumination while acting as a visual deterrent, mimicking the sweeping flashlight of a security guard.
The drone can execute pre-configured patrol routes, automatically respond to triggered motion or leak sensors, or be manually deployed. Navigation is streamlined through the newly updated 3D Alexa Home Map, allowing users to simply tap a destination for the drone to investigate.
Ring founder Jamie Siminoff noted that earlier prototypes failed because onboard processing made the devices too heavy, unsafe, and prohibitively expensive. The breakthrough was offloading the navigation and spatial mapping to cloud processing via a new “AI Pilot” system. Addressing privacy concerns, Amazon confirmed the drone completely powers down its cameras while docked, and all footage is secured by “TAKE” (Throw Away the Key Encryption), Ring’s most robust default encryption to date.
Reimagining its discontinued Astro enterprise robot, Amazon also introduced the $1,000 (roughly R18,000) Ring Rover Cam. Aimed at small-to-medium businesses and warehouse monitoring, the Rover features a tablet face and a 4K camera mounted on a four-foot extending periscope.
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While the drone powers down at its station, the Rover continuously monitors for “person motion” even while docked, immediately recording any detected activity. It also serves as an active deterrent, featuring a built-in siren, a flashing light tower, and two-way audio for direct communication.
Both the Drone Cam and Rover Cam integrate seamlessly with the Alexa Home Map software, which rolls out on December 16 with highly detailed photorealistic rendering. By designing these devices to be loud and highly visible, Amazon emphasizes that the Ring Robotics line is built to actively deter intruders rather than simply record them.
