Ever caught a drone hovering outside your window? It’s happening more often than you’d think, and South Korean startup LINSOL has developed a surprisingly elegant solution that listens instead of watching.
The Acoustic Eye, slated to make its big debut at CES 2026, is about to change how we think about home security by targeting a vulnerability most of us haven’t even considered – our airspace.
All over the world, private and commercial drone usage is increasing at an unprecedented rate. In South Korea alone, drone usage has increased ninefold between 2019 and 2024, according to Korea Bizwire. Of course, more drones means increased security and privacy risks.
What makes Acoustic Eye special isn’t just what it does – it’s where it came from. LINSOL started as an in-house venture at Hanwha Aerospace (Korea’s leading defense contractor) before becoming independent in 2023. The technology? It’s repurposed military-grade sonar detection.
“We’re bringing defense-grade security into everyday homes,” explains Hyokeun Lee, LINSOL’s CEO. “As drone technology becomes more accessible, privacy violations are increasing faster than regulations can address them.”
The sleek device attaches directly to your window with a magnetic mount and extends protection to a 1,500-foot radius around your home. Unlike cameras or radar systems that struggle with nighttime or bad weather, Acoustic Eye’s sound-based technology works 24/7 in all conditions.
What’s particularly clever is how it handles stealth drones – you know, the ones specifically designed to fly under the radar (literally). By focusing on acoustic signatures rather than visual detection, it catches what other systems miss.
When it detects a threat, you’ll get an immediate alert on either the built-in display (which doubles as a stylish clock when not in use) or your smartphone. But the Acoustic Eye doesn’t just passively monitor.
Unlike traditional security systems that simply alert you to problems, Acoustic Eye can actively respond to threats using its “self-jamming control system” to guide unauthorized drones away from your property to designated landing zones.
This isn’t just theoretical – the technology has already been proven in other applications. LINSOL has deployed similar acoustic detection systems in industrial settings to prevent accidents when visibility is limited, and has worked with local governments on projects to locate missing elderly patients.
For those already invested in smart home tech, Acoustic Eye integrates with existing security systems like ADT and major smart home platforms. When a drone is detected, it can trigger automated privacy measures like closing smart blinds or alerting your security provider.
The system is also designed to work on a network. Multiple units can communicate with each other, creating a neighborhood-wide aerial security shield that extends protection across communities – something that could be particularly valuable for schools, hospitals, and public spaces.
As we enter the Urban Air Mobility era with more authorized (and unauthorized) drones taking to the skies, having a security system that can monitor the airspace above your home may soon be as essential as securing your doors and windows. So at an expected retail price of around $250, Acoustic Eye has the potential to effectively address a growing problem that traditional ground-based security simply can’t handle.
LINSOL’s Acoustic Eye might just be the first must-have security gadget of the drone age. Because sometimes the best way to see a threat is to hear it coming.
This story has been brought to you in partnership with AVING News Network.