this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2024
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[–] [email protected] 66 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (9 children)

Also: Which 2 states are the sane ones where this would be illegal?

Edit: California and Maryland. And you can have one in California, if you get a special permit.

[–] RIP_Cheems 24 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (7 children)

Because. Also, flamethrower aren't considered weapons by the government, so the only states that limits you from buying one is California and Ohio and Maryland banned them.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Ohio has a ban too? The company that makes these is based in Ohio lol

[–] RIP_Cheems 14 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (5 children)

Not a ban, a restriction. Like California, you need a permit. Sorry if I made that confusing.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

flamethrower aren't considered weapons by the government

Considered firearms.

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[–] FlyingSquid 55 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Well now I'm definitely going to have to save up $10,000 for a flame-throwing robot dog.

How else am I going to protect myself from all the flame-throwing robot dogs?

[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago (4 children)

The only defense against a bad guy with a flame throwing robot dog, is a good guy with a flame throwing robot dog

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (11 children)

How else am I going to protect myself from all the flame-throwing robot dogs?

Build a tesla coil for $100.

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 8 months ago
[–] [email protected] 44 points 8 months ago (22 children)

What possible use case is there for this that isn't a felony of some description?

[–] dariusj18 47 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Gonna assume controlled burns in difficult terrain.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Also the reason that flamethrowers aren't illegal in most states, since being able to project flame makes controlled burns a lot easier.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Deer hunting. Don't think, just buy one and do it. It's the American way.

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[–] adam_y 10 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] adam_y 10 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

I say that, but I, in no way, want that to happen.

But yeah, Boston Dynamic have long said that they don't want their robots weaponised, but here we are seeing it happen.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Boston Dynamics has made multiple robots for DARPA. If they make a really great platform, I expect they're probably gonna be weaponized at some point. Maybe not by them, but...

I remember a buddy of mine who was working on an autonomous, self-mapping rover research project at his university on a DARPA project. He was just working on the navigation side, part of a larger project. He was telling me how he had a "huh" moment when they got the first control unit and it had a big red button on it labelled "weapon".

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[–] FlyingSquid 9 points 8 months ago

Employees trying to unionize.

At least it seems like that sort of thing never ends up being a felony...

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 8 months ago (1 children)

“Flame-throwing robot dogs don’t kill people, people kill people”

[–] NeptuneOrbit 17 points 8 months ago (6 children)

Dear ladies and gentleman of the jury. I will now argue that the LLM that programmed the fire breathing dog, did so in such a manner as to make it sentient. The dog was able to and did act of it's own accord when it killed the woman, Ms Smith. The defendant here did not create sentience in the dog, nor could he have known turning the dog on, outside, may result in the fire breathing dog torch a bystander to death.

You can see here, the dogs walking and urination patterns closely align with a real, organic dog. This definitively proves that the dog killed the woman, and now the defendant, who only released the dog into nature. Thank you very much.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 8 months ago (4 children)

"The Mechanical Hound slept but did not sleep, lived but did not live in its gently humming, gently vibrating, softly illuminated kennel back in a dark corner of the firehouse"

Here we go...

[–] AngryCommieKender 8 points 8 months ago (4 children)
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[–] [email protected] 26 points 8 months ago

I hate this but it's hilarious. It's a microcosm of everything that's making me depressed right now, and somehow that's precisely why it's amazing.

[–] CosmicCleric 26 points 8 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)
[–] Nerrad 23 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Lying on my bed, my new dog will keep me warm on cool winter nights.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

According to the FAQ on the flamethrower, while the unit is apparently pretty flexible in fuel that it can handle, the recommended fuel is mostly diesel. I'd imagine that one could use biodiesel and do climate-friendly heating.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 8 months ago (6 children)

This is a great day! I think we can ALL agree that it's been deeply frustrating to be priced out of the flame throwing robot dog market for so long.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago

This is an absolute W for flamethrowing robot dog enthusiasts everywhere.

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[–] menemen 16 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Imagine telling your insurance about your newest purchase.

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[–] Erasmus 16 points 8 months ago

Israeli Military have entered the chat.

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

So how much for a shark with a frickin' laser beam attached to its head?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago

I'd settle for some ill-tempered sea bass.

[–] ParabolicMotion 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Great. Which country has your bet for the first country to sic these on their enemies?

[–] Jimmyeatsausage 15 points 8 months ago

Totally replacing my snowblower with one of these

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Fire-extinguisher robot dogs in 3, 2, ...

[–] MashedTech 8 points 8 months ago

Yeah, no. Saving people sounds like a waste of money. How can we monetize saving them? Their deaths are way more lucrative.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (3 children)

*...30-foot flame-throwing range, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth"

Is that wifi6? 🤔

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Even less money for a real dog and flame-thrower....

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Anyone able to loan me under $10,000? It's for something really cool.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (6 children)

I just want one that delivers a beer and a hunk of summer sausage.

But a flamethrower? I guess...sure?

burns down house during summer sausage delivery

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[–] Son_of_dad 10 points 8 months ago

I think I made one of those in the new Zelda game

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago
[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Whatever happened to all the people that bought the Boring Company flamethrower?

They'd be a good customer base for this, but strangely I never hear how they're getting on now

[–] FlyingSquid 9 points 8 months ago

Considering it was a Musk product, it probably fell apart in their hands the first time they tried to pull the trigger. If it didn't explode in their faces.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Sorry mortgage deposit, something else has come up

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I need it for personal protection.

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