Throwflame
It’s become increasingly difficult to dismiss fears concerning a robot uprising thanks to companies that are seemingly intent on making that apocalyptic scenario a reality—including one that is now bragging about the creation of a mechanical dog with a flamethrower attached to its back.
The folks at Boston Dynamics have spent decades giving the world a peek at a dystopian future made possible by the robots capable of performing increasingly complex tasks with disturbing ease, and the fact that law enforcement and military agencies have adopted some of that technology with open arms has only exacerbated fears about what could unfold if they fall into the wrong hands.
There are obviously situations where those robots can help save lives (a police “dog” was recently praised for taking bullets during a standoff). However, I don’t think I’m the only person who watched a clip of Marines strapping a rocket launcher to the back of one and a video of another equipped with a functioning machine gun before asking if we’re going to regret heading down that particular path.
That brings us to Throwflame, an Ohio-based company that (as you may have been able to surmise from its name) specializes in the flamethrowers it stresses “are federally unregulated” on its website.
Last year, Throwflame provided us with our first look at what it’s dubbed the “Thermonator,” the name given to the robot dog with a flamethrower attached to its back. While that preview didn’t actually feature any flames being thrown, the same can’t be said for a new one showcasing its ability to shoot them up to 30 feet away.
Marketed as the “first-ever flamethrower-wielding robot dog,” the Thermonator—which can be yours for $9,240—is equipped with a laser sight, can be operated remotely, and is able to detect and avoid obstacles that might impede its movement.
Its suggested uses include “wildfire control and prevention” and “snow and ice removal,” and while “ushering a terrifying new future for the human race” is absent from that list, it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.