California technology startup Satyress has developed a four-legged, centaur-like robot named Threehalves, triggering intense concern and speculation across social media platforms. The black machine features two piercing circles for eyes, articulated legs, and a chainsaw mounted on a robotic forearm.
A video on TikTok posted by a user in English gathered more than 2.6 million views after describing the machine as nearly two meters tall with the appearance of a goat. Social media users claimed the machine was built to rescue people from forest fires or collapsing buildings, while another user claimed it included a manual detailing how to kill it. French users also expressed concern, with one commenter writing that the robot appeared to come directly from a nightmare.
Satyress, which created its website in September 2023, published a product listing for the Threehalves model in April 2025, describing it as a versatile super-humanoid robot. The company has not provided a commercial release date for the prototype, which images show equipped with a chainsaw.
The startup does not present the machine as a rescue prototype for disasters. Instead, Satyress designed the robot to assist artisans, builders, and technicians with delicate or hazardous physical work such as wood cutting. The company stated on its website that human bodies impose physical limits that do not need to exist, adding that its teleoperation system aims to give skilled workers extra capabilities rather than replace them.
French news outlet TF1info contacted Satyress for comment, but received no response. However, company founder Beau Gaston addressed the public reaction during an American podcast episode published on YouTube on a recent Monday. Appearing on video inside a workshop filled with robot parts, Gaston said he understood why people might find a chainsaw-bearing robot alarming, but insisted that operating a chainsaw by hand is far more dangerous.
Gaston launched the project in 2022 to reduce workplace injuries. He explained that reports of the machine being a rescue robot were exaggerated by online chatter. Gaston noted that while he never intended to pull people from burning buildings like a movie hero, anyone in a fire would likely accept help from any source.
Intimidating Design Built for Safety
Satyress stated on its website that the robot is more dangerous than it looks. Gaston confirmed during the podcast interview that the prototype was intentionally designed to look intimidating to keep bystanders at a safe distance.
When the podcast host asked if the terrifying appearance acts like a warning sign to keep people away, Gaston agreed completely. He explained that on a large construction site or in a factory, feeling intimidated or cautious is the correct mindset when standing near machinery capable of causing severe injury. Gaston, who stated he lives in the woods without disclosing his location, added that robots should be expressive and cool with personality, describing his creation as resembling a gray goat.
Social media users also highlighted a diagram on the Satyress website that outlines how to disable the machine. The diagram shows air tank areas that can be stabbed or shot to stop the robot instantly during an emergency. Satyress stated on its website that the diagram is meant to reassure operators by providing clear, physical safety mechanisms. The company added that the large size of the robot's horns would significantly slow it down if it attempted to pass through a standard American doorway.
Gaston described the creation as a passion project rather than the product of a massive secret startup, noting that he originally intended to build the machine for his own personal use. He did not state whether anyone has purchased a prototype yet. However, Gaston revealed that the most surprising inquiries came from police departments asking if the machine could be used for public safety work, though he did not clarify whether he responded to those inquiries.
