A flame-throwing robot dog that can shoot blazes up to 30 feet (9 meters) is up for sale in the United States.

Throwflame, the manufacturer, claims the robot dog is the first of its kind and has a battery that can last for an hour.

The quadruped robot dog is armed with the company’s ARC Flamethrower and is available for $9,420.

Thermonator: Operations and control

The quadruped robot dog is now operated by a first-person view (FPV) controller, a concept that is increasingly gaining traction with the rise of drones.

A laser mounted on the flamethrower provides the aim to the flames, which have a range of 30 feet.

Another interesting feature of the robot dog is its use of Light Detection and Ranging (commonly known as LiDAR) to guide it.

LiDAR utilizes pulsed lasers to accurately and constantly measure distances to a given target or area. LiDAR sensors are light-based measurement and mapping tools incredibly useful in various sectors.

Per the company’s claims, it can also avoid obstacles and operate in remote areas.

The ARC Flamethrower, as per the description, is a compact all-electric flamethrower. “Ultra-modular and adaptable, the ARC can be configured in countless ways,” the company states.

The robot dog – also known as Thermonator – uses the ARC Flamethrower, giving it instant ARC ignition. It also has an extended battery life and a versatile mounting system, which gives the robot quadruped enhanced flexibility in operations.

Thermonator’s agricultural, commercial & military use

Throwflame says all its products are designed for personal and commercial use, such as ground clearing or controlled agricultural burns, ice and snow melting, forest fire containment/ prevention, and film production.

In addition to the quadruped robot dog, the company offers hand-held flamethrowers, flamethrower drone attachments, and other products.

However, with the growing use of UAVs and robot vehicles in military operations, the armed forces could soon adopt them as well.

Various US armed forces have recently conducted training exercises using drones, other robot dogs, and troops. Designed to make military units “more lethal and efficient,” the exercise was a useful testbed for future human and drone operations.

The exercise, called Project Convergence Capstone 4 (PC-C4), also included representatives from nations like the United Kingdom and Japan.

The training exercise also involved a mid-sized all-weather ground drone, the “robot dog.”

Thermonator: The war dog?

This highly durable, agile ground drone can withstand various unstructured urban and natural environments. It is designed for defense, homeland security, and enterprise applications.

The promising results signal a possible integration of advanced tech into army units in the future.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has led to an increased usage of drones. Technology is challenging traditional warfare methods, and in the future, there will only be an upward rise in the number of drones deployed by armed forces across the globe.

Therefore, in the future, the Thermonator could be one of the top contenders among ground drones for possible military usage.