And Finally...

Finally – FINALLY! – the world’s first flame-throwing robot dog is available for the general public to purchase in the US. What could possibly go wrong?

Ohio-based company Throwflame is selling the “Thermonator” on its website with a price tag of $9,420 (with free shipping in the US, by the way).

The remotely operated quadruped robot is mounted with an ARC flamethrower, fuelled by gasoline or gasoline diesel mix, that can spurt out a 9-meter (30-foot) flame from its nozzle. Armed with laser sensors to help navigate and avoid obstacles, humans can command the robot using a control pad that displays a first-person view via an onboard camera. Fortunately, autonomous control doesn’t seem to be an option.

The robot may be named after a cybernetic assassin sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future, but the company states that Thermonator has been made for a variety of non-nefarious uses including wildfire control and prevention, agricultural management, snow and ice removal, and entertainment.

The website also has a “Defense Procurement & Export” portal for any militaries interested in getting their hands on one.