Ring introduces mini-drone that will patrol your home while you are not there

Now, to train the cat not to swat it from the air

Amazon has finally unveiled its Ring home security drone, a home security device designed to be home when you're not. Despite being introduced two years ago, Amazon has kept the $250 Always Home Cam out of the public eye, only promising to ship it to customers on an invitation-only basis in 2021. However, it was revealed at the CES tech show in Las Vegas last week, albeit in a modest way despite it no doubt having widespread appeal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYiYhLNfc0I The Always Home cam was reportedly shown flying in an empty room at the conference, but was not shown taking off or landing. It normally sits in a charging dock when not in use with its camera blocked. After training the drone where to look, it can effectively patrol one level of your home, according to Engadget. You can also set quick routes for it to follow by inputting multiple paths and waypoints, allowing it to head straight for rooms homeowners might be most concerned about. The drone utilised the same technology as robot vacuum cleaners and electric cars, to create a map of areas it is activated in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk4HOGa257k Despite the unveiling, reports suggest the device probably won't be widely available until 2024. Founder Jamie Siminoff told the Verge: "We are looking forward to – in the next short future – shipping it out to customers at high volume." One of the issues has been making it affordable for customers, with Siminoff adding: "If it was a $2,000 product, we could put the sensors on it today, and it would be fine." The delay in making the device available, media reports suggest, is because of the cost of cramming all that tech into a tiny device and making it affordable, along with making it for fit for indoor use. The device is also likely to raise concerns around privacy. Owners of Ring’s popular video doorbell can already share their footage with others online and police forces can request the footage. The Always Home Cam was described on the CES website as: "Ring Always Home Cam is an indoor-only, autonomously flying camera. "Customers can select predetermined paths where the lightweight camera can fly, enabling them to use just one camera to check on multiple locations in their home while away. "Whether it’s checking if a window is open or the stove was left on, customers can always know what’s happening at home with Always Home Cam." Related links:

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