Finally – FINALLY! – the world’s first flame-throwing robot dog is available for the general public to purchase in the US. What could possibly go wrong?
Ohio-based company Throwflame is selling the “Thermonator” on its website with a price tag of $9,420 (with free shipping in the US, by the way).
The remotely operated quadruped robot is mounted with an ARC flamethrower, fuelled by gasoline or gasoline diesel mix, that can spurt out a 9-meter (30-foot) flame from its nozzle. Armed with laser sensors to help navigate and avoid obstacles, humans can command the robot using a control pad that displays a first-person view via an onboard camera. Fortunately, autonomous control doesn’t seem to be an option.
The robot may be named after a cybernetic assassin sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future, but the company states that Thermonator has been made for a variety of non-nefarious uses including wildfire control and prevention, agricultural management, snow and ice removal, and entertainment.
The website also has a “Defense Procurement & Export” portal for any militaries interested in getting their hands on one.
Don’t fret if this smells a little bit illegal. In the US, flamethrowers are totally legal and largely unregulated in 48 states. The only states that have restrictions on flame-wielding weapons are Maryland – where owners must possess a Type 9, 10, or 11 Federal Firearms License – and California – where the device must fire less than 3 meters (10 feet).
“Flamethrowers are legal and unregulated in most counties. Chances are, we can ship to you,” Throwflame says on their website.
Billionaire Elon Musk famously exploited these loose regulations when the Boring Company released blowtorch guns, strictly advertised as “NOT-A-FLAMETHROWER”. Available to consumers for just $500, the company claims that 20,000 units were sold. Once again, it was perfectly legal in most parts of the US – although customers did have to agree to some fairly strange terms and conditions before buying the flamethrower – I mean blowtorch – tool.
Source Link: Behold The Thermonator: World's First Flame-Throwing Robot Dog Is For Sale
