If these membranes are durable, that would simplify wave generators enormously. The ones in development now have lots of moving parts.

https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2019/device-could-deliver-wave-energy-to-thousands
"(...)Engineers say that their design could be used in fleets of low-cost, easily maintained structures at sea within decades, to take advantage of powerful waves in Scottish waters.(...)"
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as i understand this .... the "within decades" is meant to express the durability of the structures
with me is the hope that in times where .... emission-free till 2030 ... is a goal worth to aim for, that in such times with great wishes of the people for effective change and also at the same time many a invention ready at this very moment to be upscaled and installed in massive dimensions .... that it surely will not need decades to replace toxic nuclear fisssion plants with such beautifull and elegant devices

The issue is that wave energy is mainly linked to the Wind power. Thus such a device would globally have the same intermittency as a Wind generator ... As the renewable énergies are intermittent, the safest way to use them is to have completing énergies to always have minimal power. This device does not provide this advantage it seems.

"Afullsize device = power 100 homes (heating and colling includes ?)" OK, what is the size of the "full size device ? What about countries without shorelines (sorry for the stupid question) ? Except these "tiny" points, good idea (in decades?)

Less moving parts is good. Durability of rubber is questionable. Rubber elasticity changes with temperature, humidity and age (fatigue). I wonder what the life span of this giant membrane is, and the cost to replace it. What's the carbon footprint for the manufacturing of a membrane that size?

I can imitate wave technology with a blower and a pump and do it as many times a day as I choose for 1/10th the money as i operate them off the electricity I'm producing.

500 kilowatts is a ridiculously small amount of power. 5 100 watt lightbulbs. Might be misprint.

And WHAT is the cost of a full size unit all installed and how long is the payback period .

Yes, methinks that someone needs to do a cost/benefit ratio analysis on this device, and please don't forget to factor in the cost of manufacturing and maintaining it too! A much simpler and durable iteration would be a metal buoy that bobs up and down and use that motion to spin a generator directly, then use the power to charge up a battery. The degradation of the rubber membrane due to UV light could make it less than attractive as a replacement for what we have now.
Randy

I really like that quiet concept. Existing wave and tidal generators are extremely noisy and rile (or even damage @ 118-152dB) the lives/bodies of nearby sea creatures. Quiet generators are a godsend to the sea.
I'll bet these things could be added to most seagoing ships to power lighting, accessories, etc.