Index – Tech-Science – Thermonator, the flame-throwing robot dog, has arrived

American company Throwflame launched the world’s first robot dog equipped with a flamethrower, ARC Flamethrower, better known by its nickname Thermonator. The structure, fitting the post-apocalyptic visions of the 1980s, costs 9,420 dollars (3.45 million forints).

The flamethrower mounted on a four-legged robot can inject flammable material (gasoline or even napalm) about 9 meters. Proper aiming of the flames is supported by a laser beam. The company’s promotional video reveals that, surprisingly, the structure can also spread flames by jumping into the air.

The robot’s orientation is assisted by a laser radar, i.e. LIDAR, so it can move independently on the terrain and avoid possible obstacles – this technique used in self-driving cars shows that the development of the product required more than just battery-operated screwdrivers and duct tape. At the same time, it is also clear that the technical basis of the machine is the Unitree Go2.

The Thermonator runs on batteries for one hour, and can be controlled from a mobile phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi even in FPV mode, i.e. in first-person view. It turns out that the main inspiration was the drones of the Ukrainian-Russian war, and this conflict could also be the location of the potential recording market and the historical baptism of fire.

If it doesn’t become part of the armed forces, it can still be used to control forest fires, weed control, melt ice and heat or as a prop for pop music videos. The latter scenario is unfortunately less likely, as the American and Western European armies are actively investigating the possibilities of using such robots. Robot dogs are already being sent to places that would be too dangerous for humans – for example, to the radioactive areas of Chernobyl – so they will definitely appear on battlefields soon.

The flamethrower, which can be traced back to the Byzantine Empire and in its modern form to the First World War, last met modern technology when Elon Musk sold it as a party accessory – it was the only finished product of the Boring Company, which specializes in tunnel construction.

(Ars Technica, Interesting Engineering)

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