making a splash

[JeongminSon]

<thread created by Glasguensis by splitting two separate questions>
[..]
Robo-fish can fit in places which divers and submarines can’t.
[..]
The motion of the material mimics the swimming motion of a real fish.
Although the latest robotic fish are pretty close to making a splash, they are not yet swimming in lakes and oceans.
It’ll be a few more years before you can tell the story of the robo-fish that got away.

[..] According to the passage, can the latest robotic fish NOT patrol for pipe damage and pollutant leaks because they are pretty close to making a plash? Is the unlined sentence imagination part?

Thank you always Angel teachers

 

[grassy]

According to the passage, can the latest robotic fish NOT patrol for pipe damage and pollutant leaks because they are pretty close to making a plash? Is the unlined sentence imagination part?

I don't understand the question. "Making a splash" is an instance of wordplay there: fish can make a splash when in the water. However, it's also used to talk about attracting attention.

 

[kentix]

He is saying they are pretty close to being ready to be used in real situations. The technical development is nearing completion. When they are finally ready to be used they will "make a splash". That's the wordplay. They will gain attention when they are used and because they are fish it's funny to use a figurative phrase that refers to water to describe that moment.