Thermonator: Robo-dog with flamethrower is legally sold in 48 US states

In June 2023, the company Throwflame announced that it would be launching a robot dog with a flamethrower onto the market. The model shown at the time consisted of a modified Unitree Go1. The announcement has now been followed by the actual sales launch. However, as can be seen in the following video, the basis for this is now a Robo-Dog Unitree Go2, which costs 1600 US dollars in the basic version. The version modified with ARC flamethrower, called Thermonator, costs 9420 US dollars.

The Thermonator is legally available in 48 US states, as flamethrowers are not legally regulated there. A firearms licence is only required in the USA in Maryland and California. Flamethrowers with a range of up to ten feet or three metres are also not regulated in California. However, Throwflame's Robo-Dog has a range of up to 30 feet - so the flame is thrown around nine metres.

In terms of marketing, apart from the product name, the manufacturer refrains from advertising the Robo-Dog as a weapon. The following applications are mentioned:

• Fire fighting and prevention
• Agricultural management
• Environmental protection
• Snow and ice removal
• Entertainment

The tank of the thermonator cannot be filled with water - it is filled with petrol or napalm. This is why it cannot extinguish forest fires, but can only help with backfire. In other words, with controlled fires to prevent the wall of flames from spreading further.

Despite this, the item is and remains a weapon. This is also the reason why Throwflame does not use the best-known and technologically superior robot dog Spot from Boston Dynamics. This is because it must not be used for purposes that could injure a human.

The Thermonator weighs 16.8 kilograms and measures 76 × 51 × 51 centimetres. It can be controlled with a smartphone and controllers like a game with first person view. Its battery offers up to one hour of operating time and a LIDAR sensor is installed for mapping and obstacle avoidance. There is also a laser visor, which makes the Robo-Dog even scarier than it already is in fog.