In 2024, you can buy some pretty wild things in America. There are funny things like an American Muscle car with more than 1,000 horsepowera key ring with which you Hack your neighbor’s car (so to speak) and now a futuristic robot dog armed with it Technology invented during World War I. I love the smell of capitalism in the morning.
The robot terror in question is called Thermonator and was designed and developed by the American startup Throwflame. Reports Ars Technica. The Ohio-based company set out to create this four-legged fire breather a humble four-legged robot which can be controlled via a smartphone and carries a giant ARC flamethrower on its back. The flamethrower can be powered by gas or napalm and has a range of up to 30 feet. It’s a truly fearsome creation that will only set you back $9,420 Ars Technica explained:
It also includes a LIDAR sensor for mapping and obstacle avoidance, laserization and first-person view (FPV) navigation via an onboard camera. The product appears to integrate a version of the Unitree Go2 quadruped robot, which retails for $1,600 in its base configuration alone.
The company lists possible applications of the new robot as “forest fire suppression and prevention,” “agriculture management,” “environmental protection,” “snow and ice removal,” and “entertainment and SFX.” But most importantly, it gets things moving in a variety of real-world scenarios.
One of the most alarming things about this creation is that it is completely legal Shop in 48 US states. This means that maybe one day you’ll be able to go to your local flamethrower shop and walk out with a new four-legged friend capable of burning up your local forest.
That’s because, whether they are mounted on a dog or notFlamethrowers are not federally regulated in most states Ars explained. The devices are not considered firearms in 48 states, with Maryland being one of the few places that requires a firearms license to purchase a firearm.
This means that there are actually fewer regulations that apply to you I’m buying this flamethrower Robot dog as harmless children’s candy, the Kinder Surprise. In the USA, right Kinder Surprise chocolates are illegal, because they hide a small toy in a bright yellow capsule inside the chocolate egg. Instead, the United States has its own versions of Kinder Surprise, which are much less fun than those found in civilized countries like Europe.
By the way, Purchasing a flamethrower is illegal in most European countries. The EU classifies flamethrowers as a type of weapon, so you can’t go to stores and buy one. But you can bring a children’s surprise with your shopping.