Amazon's Ring launched Ring Robotics with two autonomous cameras: the $249.99 Drone Cam, an indoor flying camera shipping in the US on January 27, 2027, and the $999.99 Rover Cam, a 4K patrol robot for businesses shipping December 16, 2026. Scheduled patrols need a Ring Protect plan, and the drone still lacks FCC authorization.
Ring, Amazon’s home security brand, is launching a new line called Ring Robotics with two cameras that move on their own. The Ring Drone Cam is a $249.99 indoor flying camera that ships in the US on January 27, 2027. The Ring Rover Cam is a $999.99 wheeled security robot for businesses that ships December 16, 2026, and is up for preorder now. Both are in Amazon’s announcement from November 10.
What each robot does
Both run on what Ring calls AI Pilot: you carry the drone through your space, or let the rover explore, and it builds a floor plan, labels rooms and suggests patrol points such as a side door or a register. When a Ring camera, sensor or alarm triggers, the device goes to those points on its own and streams what it finds.
Ring Drone Cam ($249.99):
- Indoor only. It flies scheduled routes, flies on demand, or launches when another Ring device trips.
- 2K video, a 148-degree field of view and 360-degree rotation, with two LED lights for the dark.
- It sits in a dock with the camera off and records only in flight, Amazon says.
- Flight time is five to eight minutes per charge, and each minute of flight takes about eight minutes to recharge, according to Ring’s figures reported by The Verge. The Verge says it weighs 165 grams.
Ring Rover Cam ($999.99):
- Built for businesses, and Amazon says it grew out of feedback from Amazon Astro owners who liked its roving security.
- Records and streams up to 4K while it moves, with an adjustable mast to see over counters and shelving.
- A built-in siren, a light tower and two-way audio. A Sleep Mode retracts the camera and turns off the microphone.
- Person detection keeps working while it is docked.
Footage from both is covered by Ring’s new default encryption, Throw Away the Key (TAKE). The Verge reports TAKE rotates keys every five minutes and deletes Ring’s copies after 24 hours.
Two conditions before you count on the drone
The first is the subscription. Amazon’s footnote says scheduled patrols, and the rover’s anytime video review, need “a compatible Ring Protect plan.” Amazon’s post does not say which plan or what it costs, so price the plan into the $249.99 before you sign up.
The second is regulatory. Amazon states the Drone Cam “has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission” and cannot be sold until it is. For now the drone has only an email sign-up, while the rover takes preorders. The Verge notes the January date comes almost six years after Ring announced its first flying camera, the Always Home Cam, in 2020.
The drone is a check-in tool for small homes
My read: a five-to-eight-minute flight answers one question, such as “is the back door open?” or “what set off the motion sensor?” It does not replace fixed cameras on the doors that matter. If you work from home or travel and already run Ring sensors, the drone is a cheaper way to see an upstairs room than wiring a camera into every one. If you don’t own Ring gear, wait for reviews after it ships and for the Protect plan details.
The rover is a different purchase. At $999.99 it competes with a camera per aisle plus a monitoring contract for a small shop or office. Buy it only if after-hours coverage of a large open floor is the actual problem.