US company releases ‘Thermonator’ robot (VIDEO)

The four-legged “dog” is equipped with a flamethrower

Almost any American with about $10,000 to spare can now own a robot dog with a flamethrower mounted on its back, the Ohio-based company Throwflame has announced.

The four-legged creature dubbed ‘Thermonator’ is actually a drone, controlled via a first-person-view (FPV) interface, with a battery life of up to one hour. Its ARC flamethrower has a range of 30 feet (10 meters), according to specifications released by the company.

“Thermonator is the first-ever flamethrower-wielding robot dog,” the company said in a press release on Tuesday, when it started taking orders.

The Thermonator appears to be based on the Unitree Go1, a smaller and lighter version of the Boston Dynamics’ famous ‘Spot’ robo-dog. Throwflame has listed its retail price as $9,420, with free shipping to any US state.

According to the company, flamethrowers are “federally unregulated and not even considered a firearm (ironic) by the [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms].” Only two states have restrictions on flamethrowers; California requires a permit, while Maryland has outlawed them entirely. It is the buyer’s responsibility to make sure they obey local laws, Throwflame said.

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The Cleveland, Ohio-based company bills itself as “the oldest flamethrower manufacturer in the US” and claims its products are “built with pride by military veterans.”