re: Tools vs Humans
I guess the question boils down to. What are tools for?
So tell me why do you personally look thru an eyepiece to view planets when a camera can do so much more?
Why take a vacation when a robot could do it for you?
I see us humans as an end in ourselves not a means to further robots or any other tool.
It depends on how you go about it...but 50 to 100 times more expensive and a 150 to a 200 times as much done is about right for a human over a robot. Robots are limited and may or may not reach some a semblance of our true abilities. A robot can't climb verticals very well or climb into caves or stop and think about the best way to fix the broken part...