Ohio-based flamethrower manufacturer Throwflame recently unveiled the Thermonator, a remote-controlled robot dog with a functional flamethrower mounted on its back.
Robot dogs have been getting more and more popular in recent years, with news reports from China suggesting that they are replacing real dogs because they require less attention and maintenance. However, one American company is using the robotic quadruped as a platform for its flamethrowers. The Thermonator is an advanced flamethrowing dog equipped with Throwflame’s ARC flamethrower which has a firing range of 30 feet and can be used for a variety of tasks, including wildfire management, agricultural burns, snow and ice removal, and special effects. And you can buy yours for just $9,420.
Photo: Throwflame
Originally unveiled a year ago in a viral YouTube video, the Thermonator is now available for preorder on the Throwflame official website. Marketed as “your ultimate firepower companion,” this controversial robot dog features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for remote control through a smartphone, as well as a Lidar sensor for environment mapping and obstacle avoidance, laser sighting, and an onboard camera for first-person-view navigation.
In a recent marketing video released by Throwflame, the Thermonator can be seen navigating snowy and leaf-covered landscapes and unleashing an arc of flame as a voiceover utters the phrase made famous by nuclear physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer – “I am become death, destroyer of worlds.”
In case you’re wondering about the dangers of selling a flamethrower-equipped robot dog to virtually anyone who can afford it, you’re not the only one, but the truth is that flamethrowers are not specifically regulated in 48 US states. They are not considered firearms, although product liability and criminal laws can still apply to their use. In Maryland, they do require a license to own and operate, and in California, the range of flamethrowers cannot exceed 10 feet. Throwflame has already announced that it will ship flamethrowers with smaller nozzles to comply with California’s regulations.
There’s no denying that the Thermonator does have that WOW factor, but is it really the kind of thing you want to be putting in anyone’s hands? Judging by the comments on Throwflame’s YouTube channel and on social media, opinions are mixed. Some are calling it a dream toy, while others see it as an accident waiting to happen.
Photo: Throwflame
“Cool. Will the owners be held liable when this inevitably starts wildfires? Or sets their neighbors’ house on fire?” one Twitter (X) user wondered.
