Raise your hand if you have seen “Metalhead”, the episode of the TV series “Black Mirror” with a canine (and very hostile) robot as the protagonist. Good, that is, bad: if you haven't seen it yet, forget it, in reality there is worse. The American company Throwflame has brought out a quadrupedal robot with a flamethrower that can emit jets of fire up to 9 feet long.
And he called it, very appropriately, “Thermonator”.
Ugly as death
At first glance, this flamethrower robot (it's just that and stop. The description of the “product” is this) could seem like a disaster waiting to happen, especially if it ended up in the wrong hands. Yet, the company is keen to point out that it is not selling the “Thermonator” as a weapon.
Many of the flamethrower tools developed by Throwflame have already been used in films and TV shows to create breathtaking special effects. However, the “Thermonator” promises to be the most popular.
There is a reason that doesn't make you feel calm
Be careful, we're getting into the conspiracy, but there is a detail, and it's real. Thermonator is based on Unitree's Go1 robodog, a quadruped with some capacity for autonomy. Why the company didn't opt for the Spot robot from Boston Dynamics, bigger and potentially more capable?
There are two reasons for this choice. Before: each spot costs around 70.000 euros, the Go1 costs a maximum of 3500 euros. The second: Boston Dynamics expressly prohibits the military use of their robots. In any case, to add a flamethrower to both, just add between 700 and 800 euros. And do you want it not to have come, or to no longer occur to anyone?
A flamethrower dog
It is not yet clear what the final price of the “Thermonator” will be, but the company has already opened a waiting list and plans to start shipping in the third quarter of this year. However, before rushing to book one, perhaps it is best to think for a moment. With all the wildfires just waiting to kick off the summer season, perhaps it's best not to make any suggestions.
While Throwflame's intentions may be good, the fact remains that a robot with a flamethrower can be quite dangerous.
