If you have been I wonder when you’ll be able to order the flame-throwing robot that Ohio-based Throwflame announced for the first time last summer, that day finally arrived. The Thermonator, what Throwflame bills as “the first-ever flamethrower-wielding robot dog,” is now available for the purchase. The price? $9,420.
Thermonator is a quadruped robot equipped with a ARC Flamethrower mounted on its back, powered by gasoline or napalm. It has a one-hour battery, a 30-foot flame-throwing range, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for remote control via smartphone.
It also includes a Lidar sensor for mapping and obstacle avoidance, laser aiming and first-person navigation via an on-board camera. The product appears to integrate a version of Unitree Go2 quadruped robot which sells alone for $1,600 in its basic configuration.
Photography: Xmatter
The company lists possible applications for the new robot as “wildfire control and prevention,” “agricultural management,” “ecological conservation,” “snow and ice removal” and “entertainment and SFX.” But most importantly, it sets things on fire in a variety of real-world scenarios.
In 2018, Elon Musk makes the news for giving away an official Boring Company flamethrower that reportedly sold 10,000 units in 48 hours. This has caused some controversy, as flamethrowers can also be used as weapons or weapons. potentially sparking wildfires.
Flamethrowers are not specifically regulated in 48 U.S. states, although general product liability and criminal laws may still apply to their use and sale. They are not considered a firearm by federal agencies. Specific restrictions exist in Marylandwhere flamethrowers require a federal firearms license to possess, and Californiawhere the range of flamethrowers cannot exceed 10 feet.
Photography: Xmatter
Even so, to state the obvious, flamethrowers can easily burn things and people, starting fires and wreaking havoc if not used safely. As a result, the Thermonator might be a Christmas gift you should avoid for little Johnny this year.
This story was originally published on Ars Technica.
