Amazon launches Ring Always Home Cam security drone

Amazon has launched a brand-new product called the Ring Always Home Cam. It is essentially an indoor security camera that acts as a surveillance drone to help keep the home’s interiors monitored when the need arises. 

But does everyone need a flying drone inside their homes? Arguably, the footage and data acquired by an in-home camera could threaten privacy and security contrary to its intended purpose. But the idea and the advanced technology behind the product certainly deserves applause.

The drone-camera performs surveillance during a maximum flight time of 5-minutes on a full charge. Expected to release in 2021, the camera comes with a recharging base on which it will remain docked for the most part. Priced at $250, Amazon’s Ring Only Home Cam is a much better alternative over continuously recording CCTV cameras. 

We wanted to create one camera that could give users the flexibility of every viewpoint they want around the home while delivering on our founding principles of privacy and security. – said Jamie Siminoff, founder of Ring

The Ring Always Home Cam acts like a robot that can be trained to patrol our homes at any time. The drone’s base on which it docks charges the camera and keeps it turned off when not in-flight. Alexa enabled; the device can’t be manually controlled, and the product is ‘end-to-end encrypted’ according to its makers.  

The Ring is a home security company purchased by Amazon and is now a subsidiary of the tech giant. Equipped with ‘obstacle avoidance technology’, this device can perform surveillance within homes without crashing into or damaging the furniture, injuring people or pets inside the home. 

This year, due to COVID-19, the event was conducted as a virtual press conference. Amazon’s Ring products were naturally the star of the event. Other Ring products launched include the Ring Car Alarm, Ring Car Cam, and the Ring Mailbox Sensor. 

With a black-and-white box-like appearance, the Ring Always Home Cam is linked to the Ring Alarm System. For a surveillance flight through the home, the drone follows a predetermined “path’ or “route,” which needs to establish/trace beforehand. 

Coming to concerns about privacy and security, the makers went the extra mile to ensure privacy by seeing to it that the camera lens is completely obscured by the charging base when docked. Also, the unit comes without a microphone to allay doubts regarding breach of privacy and intrusion. 

While introducing the product, Jamie Siminoff, CEO of Ring, stated that the Ring Always Home Cam was designed, keeping in mind the privacy concerns to hum at a certain volume, so it’s clear the camera is in motion and is recording. This is privacy you can hear

Amazon’s Ring Always Home Cam is a flying drone camera for internal home security. The camera is meant for recording intrusions and mishaps when a user is not at home. It consists of sensors that get triggered when there are suspicious disturbances. The drone then instantly flies to see what’s going on. When any sensor is triggered, an alert is received on the user’s smartphone, and live footage starts streaming. The propellers that allow the drone to fly are encased to prevent accidents, and a humming sound emanates to indicate that the camera is in motion.