[AmishDude]

Why? Why can't we develop better robots?

Because robots can't do squat. Talk to some people who do robotics for a living. (There's a big group at CMU.) Just as an example, a robot designed to do simple retrieval can't tell the difference between a tuft of grass and a rock. I suppose we could build one to waive its arms and say "Danger Will Robinson" but that's about it.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"Because robots can't do squat. Talk to some people who do robotics for a living. (There's a big group at CMU.) Just as an example, a robot designed to do simple retrieval can't tell the difference between a tuft of grass and a rock."

Maybe if we spent the hundreds of billions on developing this technology instead of manned spaceflight, we'd all be better off.