The price tag also seems like the people want it to be marketed as a robot. You could strap a motor and RC controller to a floatation device and waterproof it for less than a couple hundred dollars. Why do things that are meant for safety always have to be insanely priced?
While greed is surely some of the answer, I’d imagine liability also plays a part. If your device fails to save someone, you could be a target for litigation.
