It’s been a busy few months for ACSL. As reported in Commercial UAV News, the Japan-based drone maker recently launched an enhanced version of its TAITEN controller and upgraded its SAMO Thermal Payload. 

To learn more, Commercial UAV News stopped by the ACSL booth at Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas and caught up with Tyler Ackerman, ACSL’s Manager for Channel Operations. In our conversation, Ackerman focused on the company’s new TAITEN smart controller, explaining how it was developed based on customer needs and interests.

“When we came to the market, a lot of the feedback that we got from our customers was, ‘Hey, we need a smart controller,’” he explained. “This is the second version TAITEN that we came out with a year or so ago, and it’s a pretty big improvement.”

The new TAITEN is an NDAA-compliant product with a range of new features, including a high-resolution 7” built-in display, a IP54-rated weather-resistant design, HDMI output, and customizable function buttons. These new features, Ackerman said, are the result of the company responding to customers asking for a controller that would enable greater enterprise capabilities.

“Customers were looking to customize the experience that they've been used to in the past,” he reported. “So, we added a larger screen for planning missions and added functions on the screen. Overall, it’s a step up to be more of an enterprise-level product.”

To further the adoption of ACSL’s systems in enterprise applications, the company recently made upgrades to its SAMO thermal payload. This swappable, NDAA-compliant boasts 20X zoom functionality and “MSX® (Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging) compatibility.

Both the SAMO and the TAITEN work hand-in-hand with ACSL’s SOTEN drone.  Designed for aerial photography, the SOTEN, Ackerman explained, “fits in with many enterprise ecosystems, particularly because of its easily swappable payload system.” Payloads can be switched in an out in no time with the push of a button, making the SOTEN ideal for time-sensitive public safety situations, but the drone has also proved valuable for mapping, inspections, and even agriculture.