What do Toy Robots Mean?

The comments on Youtube where we found this video of a real transforming robot reflect the wider reaction. Some just cannot see the point, others just want a new toy. However, it is this continuing interest that drives societies to build the skill set necessary for dominance in the real marketplace 10 or 20 years from now. Where are we in the race, and what incentives, competitions etc. are we really funding? This is more than a matter of toys - this is about developing capability for the next generation of robotics.