Amazon’s Ring Security Patrols Coming to a Small Business Near You

The tech giant's latest gadgetry is once again trying to get a piece of our privacy and make money out of it...

Amazon Astro robot

The other day, Amazon announced new Alexa and Ring devices, and — given its track record on privacy — that by itself would be alarming. But that would be just one piece of the puzzle.

The new is a “pro-tier” security camera, the Spotlight Cam Pro, which is joining Ring’s radar-powered lineup. Also new, and even creepier, is Amazon’s plan to integrate the Ring Virtual Security Guard subscription service for third-party monitoring with its Amazon Astro robot.

If you recall, this robot was originally meant to serve as a home helper, but now we see that it will be (mis)used for other purposes, as well.

The tech giant says the Astro-powered monitoring solution could make sense for businesses that can’t afford an on-site security patrol but still want to keep an eye on their business after hours. Down the road, Amazon envisions a world in which robots complement or even take the place of security guards.

It all starts with the integration of Astro Robot with Ring Alarm or Alarm Pro devices. From there on, when an alarm is triggered – the Astro robot could go investigate and observe the scene. Additionally, it can also be set in a way to autonomously patrol a property when the Ring Alarm is set to “Away” mode.

Like that’s not enough, as a part of the Ring Virtual Security Guard service, the agents would be able to remotely operate the robot when an alarm is triggered, allowing them to get a closer look at the scene and even alert the intruder that the authorities have been called.

In real-life scenarios, we doubt Astro would “survive” the interaction with an intruder, though it may catch them by surprise. Perhaps it manages to get a glimpse of their face and help the authorities catch the perpetrator.

In any case, Amazon says it will begin testing this integration with small business customers in the coming months to gather feedback.

As for the mentioned camera, the Spotlight Cam Pro, it uses radar to measure the distance and angle of moving objects, with the ability to detect motion in 3D for more refined and accurate alerts. The same tech also powers the new “Bird’s Eye View” feature, which provides an aerial map of movement across a property — and which has been recently added to Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and Floodlight Cam Wired Pro. The good thing is that users can disable 3D Motion Detection in Privacy Zones, though I’m not sure that makes the camera much more privacy friendly.

The Spotlight Cam Pro is up for pre-order starting from $229.99.

So if you want to equip your home with some high-tech security gadgetry, you know Amazon’s got your back. The downside is that you will have to pay with both your dollars and your privacy. We’re not sure it’s worth it, though.