Smart home series: Amazon unveils flying Ring security drone

Amazon has made a new addition to its smart home series. Its smart home security division Ring has revealed a flying camera that launches if sensors detect home break-in.

The flying ring has been designed to activate only when only residents are out or work at home. The device is limited to one floor of a building.

Owners will be notified through a smartphone alert to enable them to see live footage when the Always Home Cam is triggered by a suspected break-in.

Amazon has said that the privacy had been “top of mind” when the drone was developed/ “It only reports when it’s in motion, and when it’s not in motion it actually sits in a dock where it’s physically blocked from even being able to report,” explained Leila Rouhi, president of Ring.

“In addition to that, it’s built to be loud, so it’s really privacy that you can hear.”

One campaign group has called the device as Amazon’s “most chilling home surveillance product” yet.

“It’s difficult to imagine why Amazon thinks anyone wants flying internet cameras linked up to a data-gathering company in the privacy of their own home,” said Silkie Carlo from Big Brother Watch.

“It’s important to acknowledge the influence that Amazon’s product development is having on communities and the growing surveillance market.”

At first, the machine will be made available in the US. The expected price is $250 when it goes on sale.

“The Always Home Cam is an incredibly ambitious device that will seem like something from a science fiction movie for many consumers,” commented Ben Wood from the consultancy CCS Insight.

“I expect it to generate a huge amount of interest from technology enthusiasts who are typically the people who embrace smart home technology first. However, it is also likely to provoke a huge discussion around privacy and the future role of technology in the home.”