Gif: Xmatter LLC (Other)
The year is 2024 and technology is doing incredible things. For the first time ever, you can purchase a walking robot dog with a flame thrower on its back. Yes, the Thermonator, which was announced late last year, is finally available for purchase in the United States. Shockingly, the product can be yours for a mere $9,420—which is a lot of money but still seems like a weirdly low price for a fire-breathing robot. I’m not sure what you’ll do with this fire-spouting contraption once you’ve bought it, but I know one thing: you’ll never, ever, ever use it to cause anyone any problems, right?
The Thermonator, the product of Ohio flame thrower manufacturer Throwflame, is a 26-pound robotic quadruped that comes equipped with one of the company’s characteristic ARC flamethrowers mounted on its back. The bot can shoot fire in a 30-foot stream and comes with a built-in fuel tank powered by gasoline. The company says the robot also has an hour-long battery, a laser sight, and lidar mapping, and it can be remotely controlled via the company’s app.
Image: Xmatter LLC (Other)
Our previous reporting noted that the Thermonator appeared to be built off of the Unitree Go1 quadruped robot—a small, lightweight machine that sports a number of different sensors and cameras to aid in autonomous navigation.
Throwflame
claims
that
its
product
is
good
for
“wildfire
control
and
prevention,”
“agriculture
management,”
“ecological
conservation,”
“entertainment
and
SFX,”
and
“snow
and
ice
removal,”
although
it
also
seems
like
it
would
be
especially
good
for
committing
mass
arson.
“Thermonator
is
the
first-ever
flamethrower-wielding
robot
dog.
This
quadruped
is
coupled
with
the
ARC
Flamethrower
to
deliver
on-demand
fire
anywhere!”
the
company’s
website
excitedly
says.
Throwflame
also
provides
buyers
with
free
shipping,
which
is
a
nice
thing
to
have
when
you’re
buying
a
fire-breathing
robot.
The Robot Dog With A Flamethrower | Thermonator
In addition to a variety of flame throwers, Throwflame also sells a flame-throwing drone, which the company has dubbed the TF-19 WASP.
Gizmodo reached out to Throwflame for more details about its new product and will update this story if the company responds.