KORTHOS / ECOSYSTEM / PRODUCT

SOTEN

About

About SOTEN

SOTEN uses a tool-free camera interface that lets operators exchange its standard 20-megapixel camera for optical-zoom, electro-optical and infrared, or multispectral payloads in the field. The 1.72-kilogram aircraft provides a maximum stated flight time of 25 minutes with its standard camera, speeds up to 15 metres per second and IP43 weather protection.

Encrypted aircraft communications, protected captured data and an optional Japan-hosted cloud environment address government and critical-infrastructure requirements. LTE connectivity supports remote and beyond-visual-line-of-sight operation, while offline maps allow field use without a live external mapping service. MAVLink compatibility and ACSL’s ground software support inspection, surveying, disaster response and public-sector integration.

07 MAY 2026

ACSL and Draganfly sign exclusive Canadian distribution and integration agreement for SOTEN

Capabilities

Source-backed capabilities

  • Capability areas: Remote operation
  • Workflows: Industrial inspection
  • Operating environments: Outdoor field environment
  • Deployment model: Operator-deployed small UAV for professional aerial data capture.
  • Robotic inspection

    Claimed - Capture aerial images of infrastructure or remote sites for inspection. - environment: Remote, industrial and survey environments

    Source
  • Mapping and photogrammetry

    Claimed - Capture overlapping aerial images for survey-map production. - environment: Remote, industrial and survey environments

    Source

Supply

Supply / Components

  • ACSL SOTEN / SAMO

    Thermal Camera Module - Perception - Teledyne FLIR - ACSL SAMO for SOTEN integrates Teledyne FLIR Hadron 640R thermal-visible imaging and MSX technology - source: product.acsl.co.jp

    Source

Timeline

  • ACSL and Draganfly sign Canadian distribution and integration agreement for SOTEN

    2026-05-07 - Partnership - ACSL and Draganfly announced an exclusive Canadian distribution agreement for ACSL's SOTEN drone platform. The partnership also includes technology integration work between ACSL payloads, TAITEN controller systems, and Draganfly platforms. Treat SOTEN as ACSL-owned while Draganfly acts as Canadian distributor and integration partner.

    Source
  • ACSL starts Canadian sales business and signs SOTEN distributor agreement with Jam Industries

    2025-12-04 - Partnership - ACSL's U.S. subsidiary began drone product sales in Canada and signed a distributor agreement with Jam Industries. ACSL also received an order from Jam for delivery of SOTEN drones. The event extends ACSL's North American SOTEN channel beyond the United States into Canada.

    Source
  • ACSL partners with Exertis Almo to expand SOTEN distribution in the United States

    2025-01-31 - Partnership - ACSL's U.S. subsidiary announced a partnership with Exertis Almo to bring SOTEN to the distributor's partner network. The announcement positioned ACSL's NDAA/TAA-compliant drones for inspection, surveying, surveillance, energy, public safety, and agriculture use cases. The event supports ACSL's U.S. channel expansion strategy for secure non-Chinese enterprise drones.

    Source
  • ACSL opens US availability for SOTEN small UAS

    2024-01-23 - Product Launch - ACSL said the U.S. launch followed its May 2023 entry into the market. The SOTEN rollout targeted industrial, inspection and public-sector operators seeking a secure small UAS. SOTEN supports swappable payload cameras, autonomous flight and secure enterprise operations.

    Source
  • ACSL begins full-scale SOTEN sales in the United States

    2024-01-01 - Market Signal - ACSL said it began full-scale U.S. sales of SOTEN in January 2024 through its U.S. subsidiary. The market push is framed around secure, versatile, non-Chinese drone demand in North America. Treat this as a market-entry signal unless a direct January 2024 launch announcement is separately available.

    Source

Context

Market context

Compact enterprise UAV with swappable camera units, encrypted communication, and made-in-Japan supply chain.

  • Target environment: Outdoor inspection sites, infrastructure assets and public-sector field environments.
  • Workflow context: Industrial inspection, mapping, site survey, remote imaging and field documentation.
  • Deployment model: Operator-deployed small UAV for professional aerial data capture.
  • Commercial maturity: Commercial UAV product from ACSL.
  • Adoption constraints: Requires trained operators, mission planning, payload setup, airspace compliance and field maintenance.
  • Market position: Japanese industrial drone platform for security-conscious professional and government users.
  • Adjacent products: Compact professional UAV for inspection, mapping and public-sector aerial workflows.

Comparable Systems

Related Systems