As always, the people of HN have found the weaknesses in this product that the founders haven't thought of at all, and they will surely shut the whole thing down now.
The Starship Robots are really cool. The sort of stuff I dreamt of as a child after staying up too late reading Asimov by flashlight. If I found myself working on a project like that, I would be more than thrilled. I probably came off too negative in my first post. When presented with a machine out of a childhood dream, I was suddenly laden with the fear of reality.
It is a great idea, and I hope they execute it perfectly. The path they choose around the roadblocks will be the real magic.
I'd argue that the product page doesn't sell properly if everyone is freaking out over possible issues. If they've solved for obvious problems, they should discuss those solutions a little. Otherwise it's not much more than a fancy Big Trak.
The landing page is probably just for showing people that they're working on the product. Very few of the eventual consumers are going to visit the site in its current form.
Yes, dismissive comments are a problem. It is better to respond to new work with an open mind and to be constructive when criticizing. Still, posting another dismissive comment doesn't improve the thread.
More helpful would be including specific information about things like (a) what we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss; (b) what the founders have probably thought of; (c) how to post more substantively; or (d) how to criticize more constructively. Then we learn something.
It is a great idea, and I hope they execute it perfectly. The path they choose around the roadblocks will be the real magic.