A hellish new droid that wields a flamethrower on its back is here to scare off any notions people have of owning a cute robo-pup.
Charmingly called the “Thermonator”, the dog resembles the four-legged bots that are already being used by the Australian army and New York police.
But there is one major difference: This deranged hound can shoot flames at a range of up to 30 feet.
The firepower comes courtesy of the rechargeable flamethrower mounted on its back, which looks like it measures the same size as the droid’s frame.
In a dystopian promotional video, the robot stalks a scorched Earth, its stick-like legs moving at an unsettling pace, as fires rage around it. The droid then rigidly looks up to the skies and unleashes a powerful jet of fire.
It’s hardly the type of cuddly pet you’d expect to come home to after work. That is, if your house is still standing after the Thermonator is done with it.
For now, the droid’s creator claims it will be ready to ship in the third quarter of this year. There’s no mention of price, but those interested can sign up to a waiting list to get notifications on its release date.
While we wouldn’t bet against this being a prank or publicity stunt, it seems that the company behind the hellhound specialises in making flames shoot out of stuff.
The robot is the brainchild of a firm aptly called ThrowFlame, which claims to be the oldest flamethrower manufacturer in the US.
In 2019, the company released a flamethrower attachment for drones for “remote ignition of both aerial and ground targets”. The add-on, which can apparently fire for up to 100 seconds, costs $1,499 (£1,180), while the ARC-19 compact flamethrower that comes with the new droid costs between $699-$899 (£550-£707).
Brits deranged enough to want the firm’s fire-spewing robot are out of luck, though. The fact is that flamethrowers are illegal in the UK. Still, you can legally purchase them in most places in the USA.
But who’d be interested in buying this dangerous mutt? Well, maybe someone with a penchant for flamethrowers and robots. We’re looking at you, Elon Musk.
