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Ring rules out manual controls for drone after crash during test
Ring says customers will not be able to manually pilot its planned Drone Cam, which is due to launch in January. The camera will instead use its AI Pilot to follow preset routes and avoid obstacles, a decision that draws attention after an early demonstration ended in crashes.
In a CBS News demonstration, Ring founder Jamie Siminoff let reporter Jo Ling Kent control an early drone through an app; it crashed twice. Ring attributed the first crash to a collision-avoidance malfunction and said the second followed a loss of internet connectivity, which the drone also needs for autonomous flight. Siminoff said it should stop and land if connectivity is lost, but it did not. Ring did not say whether the demonstration influenced its decision to omit manual controls.
In short
- Ring’s Drone Cam will use autonomous flight only.
- An early manual-control demonstration ended in two crashes.
- The company did not explain whether the demo shaped its decision.
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The case for
Restricting the Drone Cam to preset autonomous routes could make it easier for customers to use and let Ring focus on safety features such as obstacle avoidance and landing when connectivity fails. Manual piloting may introduce additional risks, so a controlled system could be a reasonable design choice if it proves reliable and handles faults safely.
The case against
Without manual controls, customers may have less ability to direct the camera where they need it or respond when its automated route is unsuitable. The crashes during the demonstration, including a failure to stop after losing connectivity, strengthen the case for giving users a way to intervene and raise questions about relying on automation alone.
Explained simply
Ring is Amazon-owned Ring’s planned indoor Drone Cam, a small camera that can fly around a home to check on it. Its AI Pilot is designed to follow routes set in advance and steer around obstacles, rather than being guided by a person.
The reported crashes happened during a demonstration involving Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and CBS News reporter Jo Ling Kent. Ring said one followed a collision-avoidance malfunction and the other a loss of internet connection; the system relies on connectivity for autonomous flight. How the drone responds to connection failures matters because it affects whether it can operate safely inside a home.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Ring confirms its camera drone won’t have manual controls after crashing on CBS News”.