Meet the Thermonator: the first-ever flame-throwing robot dog that shoots fire beams up to 30 feet away hits the US market
- An Ohio-based company opened sales for its flame-throwing robot dog
- The ‘Thermonator’ is a four-legged machine with a flamethrower on the back
- READ MORE: Elon Musk sold a $600 Boring Company flamethrower
While it may sound like the plot of a Black Mirror show, Americans can now buy a flamethrower-wielding robot dog online.
Ohio-based Throwflame opened sales of its ‘Thermonator’ on Tuesday, selling its 37-pound pooch for $9,420, which is legal in all US states except Maryland.
A demonstration video shows a Thermonator crawling and jumping through a forest before setting the surrounding area on fire with a 30-foot jet of fire spewing from a flamethrower on its back.
The company did not describe it as a new weapon, but is touting the flame-throwing robot as being used in wildfire fighting, agricultural management, entertainment and deicing.
While it may sound like the plot of a Black Mirror show, Americans can now buy a flamethrower-wielding robot dog online
Ohio-based Throwflame opened sales of its ‘Thermonator’ on Tuesday, selling its 37-pound four-legged machine for $9,420
Throwflame, based in Cleveland, claims to be the oldest flamethrower manufacturer in the US.
The company released the first-ever full-size, commercially available flamethrower in 2015, which shoots flames up to 50 feet.
“This unregulated flamethrower sparked a significant media backlash regarding legality,” Throwflame shared on its website website.
“However, flamethrowers remain federally unregulated.
“This means anyone can buy one without a background check or waiting period.”
Thermonator appears to be designed like most four-legged robots, but has one of Throwflame’s devices attached to the back.
The robot dog has a variety of cameras and sensors, allowing it to move autonomously through its environment and find targets to set on fire.
The machine is controlled remotely; the demonstration video shows a handler operating the machine with a smartphone.
A demonstration video shows a Thermonator crawling and jumping through a forest before setting the area on fire with a 30-foot jet of fire spewing from a flamethrower on its back
The robot dog features a variety of cameras and sensors, allowing it to move autonomously through its environment and find targets to set on fire
Social media users have shared their thoughts on the machine, comparing it to an episode in the fourth season of Black Mirror entitled ‘Metalhead’.
The episode explores what could happen if these machines turned against us, revealing the terrifying quest for survival in a world where robo-dogs can outrun and outsmart humans.
X user Rob Sheepe posted: ‘A real Black Mirror ‘Metalhead’ terror here. How is this legal?’
However, Maryland is the only US state to ban flamethrowers; California requires a permit to own one.
Possession or use of a flamethrower in Maryland is punishable by a $250,000 fine and up to 25 years in prison.
In 2015, Congress introduced a bill that would treat flamethrowers as machine guns, but it was stalled and later defeated.