Ring security cameras are reaching for the sky – or at the very least the ceiling – after the company unveiled the Always Home Cam, its first autonomous indoor drone at CES 2023. It provides a live, instant feed of your home that allows you to keep an ear on things while you are away. The drone takes flight when a Ring alarm triggers or when activated via the official app.
The drone has been in production for a while now and was last seen in 2021. (opens in a new window). We’ve been quiet for a while now, but the Always Home Cam is still a popular choice. (opens in new tab).
Potential users will first need “train” the device by holding the device in the air, without blocking it, and then circling their home to create an established flight path. The Always Home Cam has four rotors that allow it to fly along the path provided there are no obstacles. If it senses an obstruction, the Always Home Cam will turn around and return to its charging station.
You can also access a live feed of the drone’s camera via the app. The images have a resolution 1440 x 1440 pixels and offer a wide field-of-view of 120 degrees horizontally or 120 degrees vertically. This results in a high quality image that is both correct in size and high quality.
Some restrictions
Although the Always Home Cam is amazing, there are some limitations. Owners can create up to 50 flight paths. However, the drone will only be capable of flying on one of these paths as it cannot switch between them mid-flight. To follow a different trajectory, the drone will need to return to its charging station to recharge, then change direction. The drone can only fly for five minute before it needs to recharge.
The Home Cam also only allows you to view one floor at a given time. The drone is not able to climb stairs, according to reports. If your house has multiple floors, you will need to purchase a drone for each one.
This drone is also quite loud. According to the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) of the drone, “it’s about half as loud as a vacuum cleaner when it’s flying.”
Availability
Despite the first public appearance, it will still take some time before the drone takes off. Interview with TheVerge (opens in new tab)Jamie Siminoff, founder of Ring, stated that the Always Home Cam would be “widely available” sometime between 2024 and 2025 at a cost of $249.99 (euro not known). The ongoing problems are behind the delay. According to the same interview the device appears to have trouble “detecting mirrors or windows”.
Ring was kind enough to tell us about the work she is doing on Always Home Cam. Is the drone capable of climbing stairs? If so, will this mean that the drone won’t need another drone to reach the second floor? Is there any plan to extend the battery life? To be continued.
Pre-orders for the Day1 edition are now open. It is only available to those who have been invited by Amazon US. (opens in a new window) The quantities are limited at the moment in France, but not in France.
