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 $US9,420 ($14,527)—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.
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.
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. No word on if it will reach Aussie shores, but here’s hoping!