Searching for an NDAA-compliant good controller? ACSL, which has been proving itself as an more and more outstanding different to DJI, simply gave us another reason to show our heads to its course. The corporate in the present day launched a brand new product referred to as TENSO. TENSO is an NDAA-compliant drone controller, providing a product that has been extremely sought-after.
In actual fact, right here at Drone Lady, we’ve had oodles of readers asking for suggestions of the greatest drone controller not made in China. Up till now, the choices had been few and much between. However with TENSO, which comes from Japanese drone maker ACSL, we lastly have one.
Right here’s your information to TENSO, in addition to a little bit of different colour round what ACSL has been as much as lately:
TENSO: good controller with NDAA compliance
TENSO: key specs
The TENSO good controller is designed for operations with the SOTEN drone, which ACSL launched in January 2023. When SOTEN first debuted, it got here with the usual controller, which had extra simplified specs. TENSO turns the usual controller up a notch — or many.
Listed below are some key TENSO specs:
- AES256 encryption communication protocol between SOTEN drone and controller (similar as the usual controller)
- Beneficial working temperature vary from 14°F to 104°F
- IP43-rating (mud and splash resistant)
- 2.3 lb weight
- 3 hours of battery life
- 5″ show
- 1080p decision
- As much as 1000 nits of brightness (together with direct daylight)
- 2.5 mile most operation vary
- 2.4 GHz working frequency
- Wi-Fi and LTE appropriate
In brief, you’re taking a look at a transportable and highly effective drone. However moreover its sturdiness, the important thing energy of this drone controller is that communication protocol. As the identical protocol utilized by the U.S. authorities for categorized data, TENSO is greatest utilized in delicate drone operations.
You’re not restricted to only one controller both. In actual fact, the SOTEN drone permits any mixture of as much as three customary and good controllers to hyperlink to it concurrently in flight.
That stated, it’s not low-cost — and you may’t purchase one but even in the event you wished to. It’ll be out there for buy come September. Present SOTEN drone pilots should buy it as a standalone piece for $2,800. Or, in the event you’re new to the SOTEN system, ACSL may even promote operation-ready bundles with the choice to choose one with this controller.
And no, you’ll be able to’t simply purchase this drone controller from Amazon or another electronics retailer. ACSL works with licensed sellers. Discover an ACSL licensed vendor close to you, right here.
How TENSO suits into the broader ACSL ecosystem
Japanese drone firm ACSL began making waves throughout the U.S. in early 2023, when information broke that it could launch a U.S. subsidiary in California’s Silicon Valley. For what it’s value, ACSL itself is hardly new. Based in 2013, ACSL is Japan’s largest drone maker. That’s, except you depend different Japanese firms like Sony. Primarily recognized for handheld cameras , Sony did semi-recently get into drones itself).
By launching within the U.S., ACSL might deal with promoting NDAA-compliant drones — a characteristic more and more important for a lot of pilots flying drones within the U.S.
Being NDAA-compliant means adhering to particular provisions of the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act, significantly these associated to using expertise and gear. If a product is NDAA-compliant, it means they’re licensed to not comprise parts manufactured by blacklisted entities. With that comes a promise that they meet sure cybersecurity requirements and might defend delicate authorities information. NDAA compliance is appear amongst prospects as important for safeguarding delicate authorities data and defending important infrastructure from potential vulnerabilities.
ACSL’s SOTEN drone
ACSL’s first product to launch within the U.S., the SOTEN drone, was hardly low-cost. Clocking in at many hundreds of {dollars}, it’s for individuals who worth safety over something. In spite of everything, its strict safety requirements embody the choice to encrypt collected photograph and video information earlier than it’s recorded to the on-board reminiscence card. As well as, communication between the drone and the controller is encrypted.
It launched with its personal proprietary controller, although the controller’s options have been way more fundamental than the TENSO that we’re studying about in the present day. Right here’s a take a look at the usual SOTEN drone controller (and never that clunky separate display screen):
With no built-in display screen, customers must hooked up their very own separate gadget. And sure, that might imply one other Chinese language made digital, akin to an iPhone. Each, that controller and drone are additionally NDAA-compliant.
How has ACSL weathered its entrance into the U.S. market
SOTEN introduced its U.S. launch over a 12 months in the past. The drone items themselves arrived within the U.S. towards the start of this 12 months.
Ths far, ACSL has landed purchasers together with utility suppliers Ameren and New York Energy Authority. It has additionally landed some drones as a service firms akin to Firmatek.
ACSL has entered the U.S. at a important time. Particularly recently, an uptick in American laws has sought to ban or restrict drones made in China — significantly DJI drones. That features the Countering CCP Drones Act, which already handed within the Home. Although, it nonetheless must cross the Senate. Different, extra average proposals would severely restrict DJI drones. That features the Drones First Responders Act, which might create a 30% tariff on drones made in China.
Although meant to spice up American drone firms, such laws additionally paves the best way for firms like ACSL to thrive.
Different ACSL upgrades forward
Alongside the TENSO launch, ACSL introduced a number of different smaller upgrades to its SOTEN drone, addressing complaints from early-adopters. These embody:
- Decreasing real-time video latency by 25%
- Including customized gimbal management (gimbal pace now adjusts primarily based on zoom degree)
- Providing direct publicity management (pilots can now rapidly alter picture publicity to disclose object particulars)
- Upgraded compatibility by supporting extra Android units
And now, SOTEN drone’s firmware is absolutely compliant with U.S. distant ID laws, as accepted by the FAA.
Thaht’s not all. ACSL CTO Dr. Chris Raabe additionally stated the corporate has some enhancements deliberate in its pipeline, which embody:
- Increasing line up of swappable payloads
- Further countermeasures in opposition to digital camera vibration
- A dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz) radio hyperlink for improved robustness in noisy
- environments.
- Automated continuation of mapping missions following a battery swap.
- Functionality to observe and management the plane through LTE mobile community.
- RTK module add-on for centimeter-level positional accuracy
- Additional real-time video latency discount
