Ohio-based Throwflame, the oldest flamethrower manufacturer in the US, has unveiled its Thermonator, a 37-pound fire-spewing metal canine. Priced at $9,420, the Thermonator joins the ranks of robotic quadrupeds equipped with weaponry, such as rifle-carrying machines and rocket-launcher-carrying robot ninja dogs from Russia.
The Thermonator is powered by an ARC flamethrower carried on its back, which can throw fiery gasoline or napalm up to 30 feet. It has a one-hour battery life and is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth equipped, allowing users to control it with a smartphone.
Other features of the Thermonator include Lidar mapping for obstacle avoidance, first-person view (FPV) for navigation, and laser sighting. While Throwflame doesn’t advertise the Thermonator as a weapon, its potential uses include wildfire control and prevention, agricultural management, ecological conservation, and snow and ice removal.
The Thermonator is built on the Chinese-made Unitree Go2 platform, which can be purchased for $1,600 in its base configuration. This is significantly cheaper than the $74,500 Boston Dynamics charged for Spot when it first became available for purchase.
The Thermonator is available for purchase now, though Maryland restrictions require a Federal Firearms License to own a flamethrower. Throwflame ships to California, but state laws restrict the operational range of flamethrowers to 10 feet or less, meaning the Thermonator will have a smaller nozzle in that state.
It’s worth noting that flamethrowers remain federally unregulated in most cases, meaning anyone can purchase one without background checks or a waiting period.
