Literally the first line of the article:

> With their ability to shapeshift and manipulate delicate objects, soft robots could work as medical implants, deliver drugs inside the body and help explore dangerous environments.

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homeonthemtn 6 hours ago | parent [-]

I think to OPs point, we keep hearing that same line and I've never once seen a productionalized version of these

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DennisP 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I'm not sure that's a big strike against it yet. Kinda the whole point of engineering in academia is to work on hard things that are far from commercialization.

	▲	andrewl 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		The fact that a product has not yet been created from a given technology does not mean the technology or the research itself is useless, or will not turn out to be useful in the long term. You can also learn a lot from research or development that does not ultimately work out.

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toss1 7 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

>>"never once seen a productionalized version of these"

YET

Just because we have not YET seen one does not mean it should not be pursued.

Examples are endless, start with: 30 years ago, no one had seen a solar panel with 25% efficiency produced for less than $1/watt. Now, it is the most economical and fastest-growing and most sustainable energy source on the planet.

That argument is simply an argument against all efforts at making progress. Perhaps rethink making it?