Canadian operators have a new option for secure aerial data collection.
The ACSL SOTEN. A compact, foldable platform built around a one-touch swappable camera system.
And it is now available through Candrone, with full configuration, training, and support in Canada.
The SOTEN reached the Canadian market earlier this year through an exclusive master distributor agreement between Japanese manufacturer ACSL and Draganfly. That agreement covers more than distribution: the two companies have been integrating their technologies so that payloads and controllers can move between platforms rather than staying locked to a single airframe. For teams building a fleet over time, that interoperability is arguably the more consequential part of the announcement.
One airframe, four sensors
Most drone programs grow by addition. A team buys an aircraft for visual documentation, then needs thermal, so it buys a second aircraft. Then a survey requirement appears and a third platform enters the picture. Each with its own controller, its own battery ecosystem, its own maintenance schedule, and its own learning curve for the people flying it.
The SOTEN was designed around a different assumption. A one-touch release lets an operator change sensors in the field, on a powered aircraft, without tools. The platform supports four configurations:
- A 20MP camera on a one-inch sensor with a mechanical shutter: the mechanical shutter matters more than it sounds. It captures without the rolling-shutter distortion that undermines photogrammetry, which makes this the configuration for mapping and documentation work that has to hold up to measurement.
- A dual thermal-optical camera: heat signature and visible reference frame from the same pass, for night work and low-visibility conditions.
- A multispectral sensor: calibrated multi-band capture for vegetation index and condition mapping.
- An optical zoom camera: detail on distant structures without repositioning the aircraft, which is the difference between a safe standoff and an approach nobody wants to make.
The practical effect is that capability expands without the fleet expanding. One airframe to maintain, one controller to train on, one workflow to document.
Built for the security conversation
For a growing number of Canadian buyers, the aircraft's data posture is now part of the purchase decision, often reviewed by someone who will never fly it.
The SOTEN is NDAA compliant and manufactured in Japan, with security measures based on ISO 15408 protecting against tampering, hijacking, and data extraction. Communications are encrypted, as is onboard data storage. For organizations where procurement or IT sign-off sits in the approval path, that documentation exists and can be supplied directly rather than assembled after the fact.
This is where a lot of drone purchases stall. Not on capability, but on a security review nobody prepared for. Knowing the answers in advance shortens the timeline considerably.
Interoperability across the fleet
The integration work between ACSL and Draganfly means SOTEN payloads and the TAITEN smart controller are becoming compatible with Draganfly platforms including the Apex and Commander 3XL. Operators running mixed fleets across payload classes (from a few pounds up past a hundred) can work toward a common control ecosystem instead of a separate one per aircraft.
The TAITEN controller itself is built for field conditions: a bright seven-inch display readable in direct sun, IP54-rated construction, and customizable controls for operators who spend real hours behind it.
For teams planning a multi-year program rather than a single purchase, this is the detail worth sitting with. Fleets are usually built incrementally, and every incompatible addition raises the cost of the next one.
Where this fits
Canada's commercial drone market is projected to approach $10 billion by 2030. Growth at that scale tends to reward platforms that adapt to changing regulation, to security requirements, to missions that look different in three years than they do today.
The SOTEN suits teams that need more than one kind of data from a portable aircraft, that operate in conditions where an IP43 rating earns its keep, and that have to account for where their data goes. It travels folded in a kit bag and is flying within minutes of arrival, which matters when the day involves several sites rather than one.
Talk to us about your operation
Candrone supports the SOTEN end to end across Canada. With configuration matched to your actual missions, pilot training, payload workflow setup, RPAS compliance support, and ongoing service. We spec the aircraft around the work, not the catalogue.
