ACSL, Japan’s top drone manufacturer, has announced the release of the TAITEN Smart Controller—an NDAA-compliant remote with a 7-inch integrated display—alongside major enhancements to its SAMO thermal payload and a new collaboration with Teledyne FLIR’s Thermal by FLIR® Program. The advances put ACSL’s secure, versatile drones in sharper focus for U.S. public safety teams, infrastructure inspectors, and industrial pilots.
TAITEN Smart Controller: Rugged, Field-Optimized Design
The newly launched TAITEN Smart Controller arrives with a daylight-readable 7-inch display featuring 1500 nits of brightness—designed for deployment across both sunny and harsh field environments, the controller boasts a weather-resistant IP54 rating, HDMI output, and programmable function buttons. It’s fully compatible with ACSL’s SOTEN small UAS, and targets practical control needs such as clarity and durability for complex site inspections and emergency response operations. Industry customers nationwide can expect September availability via ACSL dealer channels.
Teledyne FLIR Collaboration Expands Thermal Capability
ACSL’s confirmed status as a collaborator in Teledyne FLIR’s Thermal by FLIR® Program signifies deeper integration of advanced thermal imaging into ACSL platforms. The FLIR program is specifically designed to support OEMs in rapid development and deployment of innovative thermal-enabled technologies for unmanned systems. According to Mike Walters, Vice President of Product Management at Teledyne FLIR OEM, “Our program accelerates the path from development to deployment, putting advanced thermal capabilities, like ACSL’s SAMO payload, into the hands of operators more efficiently. We’re looking forward to collaborating with ACSL on the next wave of drone innovation.”
Upgraded SAMO Payload: Dual-Sensor, ITAR-Free, Mission-Ready
Shipping now, the enhanced SAMO payload meets NDAA compliance and incorporates Teledyne FLIR’s Hadron™ 640R camera module: a dual sensor combining a 64MP optical zoom camera (20X zoom) with a 640×512 Boson® radiometric thermal camera. The system offers ITAR-free thermal capability, crucial for regulated U.S. operations. By year-end, SAMO will support MSX® fusion technology, which overlays visible edge detail on thermal imagery—improving situational awareness for tasks like search and rescue, power line surveys, and industrial inspections.
SOTEN Drone, TAITEN, and SAMO at Commercial UAV Expo 2025
ACSL will showcase all three new developments at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas, September 2–4. Global CTO Chris Raabe presents the TAITEN Controller in Room 312 at 5:15 PM PDT on the event’s opening day, while ACSL Inc. CEO Cynthia Huang will moderate a major industry panel on critical infrastructure UAS solutions September 3 from 10:30–11:30 AM PDT at the Summit Stage. Attendees can experience the newest NDAA-compliant technologies first-hand at ACSL’s booth #917.
DroneXL’s Take
ACSL’s stepwise push into the U.S. market—from hardware upgrades to deep partnerships with thermal imaging leaders—raises vital questions for drone professionals: How will NDAA compliance and ITAR-free payloads influence procurement for critical infrastructure operators? What operational advantages does the TAITEN controller offer compared to legacy field controllers? And, as thermal integration matures, what new use cases or regulatory hurdles might pilots face? DroneXL invites readers and stakeholders: Will these advances spur broader adoption or create new challenges in public safety, inspection, and infrastructure sectors? Share insights and field experiences in the comments below.
Photos courtesy of ACSL.
