ACSL SOTEN Gets SAMO: A 64MP Thermal Payload Built for Operators Who Can’t Use DJI

ACSL is actively promoting SAMO, its dual optical-thermal swappable payload for the SOTEN drone, as the Japan-made platform pushes deeper into U.S. public safety and inspection markets. Built around Teledyne FLIR’s Hadron 640R module, SAMO pairs a 64-megapixel visible camera with a 640×512 radiometric Boson thermal sensor — all in an NDAA-compliant, ITAR-free package. Teledyne FLIR OEM announced the partnership on August 26, 2025, under its Thermal by FLIR program, and SAMO is shipping now.

For operators locked out of DJI by procurement rules, that sentence matters. A radiometric 640×512 thermal core with a 64MP visible camera on a one-touch swappable payload system is a serious thermal specification — not a consolation prize.

What SAMO Actually Puts in the Air

SAMO slots into SOTEN’s one-touch swappable payload bay alongside four other camera options: standard 20MP, 2.5x optical zoom, multispectral, and a FLIR Boson 320 combo. The Hadron 640R module at its core delivers a 26mm equivalent focal length and F2.3 aperture on the optical side, and full radiometric data from the 640×512 thermal sensor — meaning every pixel carries a calibrated temperature value, with accuracy rated at ±5°C within the 0°C to 100°C range, not just a heat map image. Thermal sensitivity is below 20mK. The payload weighs approximately 56 grams and carries an IP54 ingress protection rating. Gimbal range is ±90° pan, -90° to +10° tilt, ±45° roll.

The 20x zoom on the visible camera changes how operators work a scene. In a search-and-rescue scenario, you can hold position at altitude and zoom into a suspect heat signature before committing to a closer pass. That workflow matters when battery time is finite and airspace is contested.

One honest caveat: video resolution for the FLIR Hadron 640R combo is listed as “TBD” in ACSL’s own spec sheet, and MSX imaging — FLIR’s Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging technology, which embosses visible edge detail onto the thermal feed — has not yet shipped. As of March 2026, authorized dealers DSLRPros, Dronefly, and Advexure all list MSX as a roadmap feature dependent on future firmware updates. ACSL promised it by end of 2025. That deadline passed. Buyers should treat MSX as a future capability, not a current one.

SOTEN’s Payload Architecture Is the Real Story

SOTEN’s one-touch swappable payload system is the platform feature that makes SAMO worth discussing. A crew can switch from a standard 20MP camera to full radiometric thermal in the field without tools. For public safety deployments — where a patrol flight can turn into a structure fire search without warning — that operational flexibility has real value.

The SOTEN airframe is foldable, manufactured in Japan, ISO15408 certified, and rated IP43. It carries a 25-minute flight time with payload, approximately 29 minutes without. It supports obstacle avoidance via vision and infrared sensing, and the latest version adds dual-band 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz radios with AES-256 encrypted links. We covered the SOTEN’s U.S. launch in January 2024, when ACSL priced it under $10,000. Since then the platform has accumulated real-world mileage: Firmatek deployed SOTEN for utility infrastructure inspections in Arizona, and ACSL signed Exertis Almo in January 2025 with the stated goal of pushing annual shipments from hundreds of units to thousands.

The TAITEN smart controller — announced alongside SAMO last August — adds a 7-inch daylight display at 1,500 nits, an IP54 weather rating, 8 hours of battery life, and HDMI output. It runs Android 13 with ACSL’s TAKEOFF ground control app pre-installed. We reported on the full TAITEN and SAMO announcement when it dropped. The combined system — SOTEN airframe, SAMO payload, TAITEN controller — is ACSL’s complete thermal operations stack today.

SAMO Camera Specifications

DroneXL’s Take

When we covered ACSL’s original SOTEN thermal camera announcement back in September 2024, the payload was promising but undelivered. SAMO shipping now with a verified Teledyne FLIR Hadron 640R inside is a different conversation. This is a completed product backed by one of the most credible thermal imaging companies in the industry.

The procurement logic for government and utility customers is straightforward. NDAA compliance removes DJI from the table. Skydio has had its own supply and product challenges. ACSL is methodically filling that gap: a distribution deal with Exertis Almo, a real thermal payload, a purpose-built controller. The company isn’t sprinting — it’s building the full stack piece by piece, and that’s actually a more sustainable approach than overpromising and shipping half a product.

The MSX miss is a real blemish. ACSL and Teledyne FLIR publicly committed to MSX availability by end of 2025. It’s March 2026, multiple dealers confirm it hasn’t shipped, and there’s been no public update on the delay. That’s the kind of thing that erodes buyer confidence in a market where agencies need to justify every procurement decision. ACSL should put out a clear timeline — or acknowledge the slip.

Watch for an updated SAMO spec sheet with confirmed video resolution and MSX delivery date before Q3 2026. The Teledyne FLIR partnership agreement specifically references next-generation collaboration on Prism ISP technology — if ACSL moves to that platform, it would likely fold MSX in as a baseline feature rather than a firmware add-on.

DroneXL uses automated tools to support research and source retrieval. All reporting and editorial perspectives are by Haye Kesteloo.