Robot with horns and chainsaw goes viral, company says it is here to help humans

A horned, chainsaw-wielding robot built by a California startup is going viral on X, with many calling it "demonic" and something straight out of a sci-fi horror film. . Its creator, however, says the machine will help humans by taking on dangerous work.Threehalves chainsaw robot. Photo/ SatyressA robot with horns, a chainsaw and four legs isn't exactly what most people picture when they think of a machine built to help humans and save lives during disasters. Yet that's precisely what California-based startup Satyress is creating. The company's prototype robot, called Threehalves, is going viral on social media, with many describing it as terrifying and something straight out of a sci-fi horror film.Some netizens are even comparing its appearance to satanic and demonic creatures. Satyress founder Beau G. however insists the machine has a much friendlier purpose. It will help humans take over hazardous tasks such as forestry, vegetation management, clearing trees near power lines, and disaster response in wildfire zones, mudslides and collapsed structures, places where workers face risks from falling trees, unstable terrain and other life-threatening conditions. “I think humanoid robots are an inevitability from the tech progress standpoint,” said Beau to New York Post.How Threehavles robot worksUnlike humanoid robots designed to walk on two legs, Threehalves uses a quadruped "centaur" chassis for greater stability on uneven terrain. On top sits a humanoid torso with modular arms that can quickly swap between tools like chainsaws, drills and wrenches. The robot stands around 7 feet (2 metres) tall and is compact enough to fit sideways in the bed of a standard pickup truck.According to the company the robot is not meant to work on its own. Instead, it will be controlled through a human operator that will control it remotely using joysticks, cameras and sensors, much like flying an industrial drone. The company says Threehalves will be controlled remotely by a human operator using joysticks, cameras and sensors. This means it can take on risky jobs, such as clearing trees near power lines, working in wildfire-hit areas or navigating unstable ground,while the person controlling it stays safely out of harm's way.The robot's unusual horns are also more than a design choice. The horns house cameras that help the robot track its arms and tools while it works. Satyress has also built in several safety features, including emergency braking and fail-safe systems that can freeze the robot instantly if something goes wrong. The company says the aim isn't to build a scary-looking machine, but one that can make some of the world's most dangerous jobs much safer for humans. On its official website, Satyress describes Threehalves as a robot built for "dangerous jobs". According to the company, the idea for Threehalves came from the founder's own experience after storms damaged trees near his property close to California's Tahoe National Forest. Seeing the dangers faced by tree-clearing crews inspired him to develop a machine that could perform the same physically demanding work without putting human lives at risk.Although the project has already cost more than $150,000 in parts and equipment, Threehalves right now is just a prototype, with no launch date or price announced.According to Beau G, Threehalves was never meant to be a frightening robot. Instead, it is being built to make some of the world's most dangerous outdoor jobs safer for humans.The internet, however, is not getting the aesthetics and visuals.Over social media, Threehalves is going viral with people calling it a centaur robot because it combines a humanoid upper body with a four-legged base.“Brother if this comes out of the smoke to rescue me from a wildfire I am running INTO the flames,” one users wrote on X.“Imagine being dismembered limb by limb from a robotic centaur with a chainsaw,” another user quipped.- EndsPublished By: Divya BhatiPublished On: Jul 31, 2026 16:43 IST