Throwflame plans on selling the Thermonator, the first-ever robot dog with a flamethrower attached to its back, later this year.
The description on the company's website says the Thermonator can "deliver on-demand fire anywhere," sending out streams of fire that can reach up to 30 feet.
While it's difficult to think of a scenario that would require the services of the Thermonator, the "Clout" section on the Throwflame site mentions that its X15 flamethrower was used in the TV series Yellowstone and an animated version of the X18 flamethrower can be seen in "The Pandemic Special" episode of South Park.
According to the New York Times, the NYPD leased a robot dog from Boston Dynamic for $94,000 in 2020. The contract was terminated the following year amid accusations that the Digidog was a representation of the "militarization of the police."
"At a time where we should be having more beat cops on the street, building relationships with residents, they’re actually headed in another direction in trying to replace them with robots," New York City council member Ben Kallos said.
New York City mayor Eric Adams announced, per Wired, in April that the robot dogs will return after two Spot dogs were acquired for the purpose of deploying in high-risk situations.
In November, an ordinance was approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors that would allow for the use of potentially deadly robots for emergency purposes. The decision drew backlash with critics revisiting the stance that such actions would lead to the further militarization of the police.
The board reversed course a week later, and voted to "explicitly ban the use of robots in such fashion for now."
Throwflame is currently offering a waitlist option, with a shipping date expected to be sometime in the third quarter of 2023.
