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what makes this thing a 'robot' as opposed to say... just a big fscking tool?

There are several answers to that, which largely depend on your definition of robot, so take your pick.

The first answer is that there is no difference between a robot (American Heritage, definition #2) and a complicated tool.

The second, more complete answer is that a robot (WordNet definition from above link) is just an automatic mechanism. If you go to the AquaJet site (They're the hydrodemolitions company in question.) and poke around, or even just read the summary linked in the story, you'll see that the operator tells the robot where to go, how much concrete to remove, and how smooth to leave it, and the robot then decides (and executes) the proper number, speed and angle of sweeps with the proper pressure and oscillation. It doesn't mention what the second operator is for, but I suspect he's either back at the custom trailer mmaking sure the water lines feed out, or driving the reclamation truck behind the robot to suck up the water.

The third answer, for American Heritage definition #1, meaning a robot is a human-like machine, can be seen here, in the picture of the second model, which is equipped with a vaguely humanoid 'robot arm' that can move the entire assembly up and down and back and forth.

The final answer (Well, the final one I'll be giving tonight) is that using the final definition of 'robot' on the dictionary.com page above ("A mechanical device for performing a task which might otherwise be done by a human, e.g. spraying paint on cars."), this is still a robot. Of course, that's because you could, if you really wanted to, have a machine where a person with a joystick and a set of throttles manually moved and controlled the jet. But, would you really want to?

what makes this thing a 'robot' as opposed to say... just a big fscking tool?

There are several answers to that, which largely depend on your definition of robot, so take your pick.

The first answer is that there is no difference between a robot (American Heritage, definition #2) and a complicated tool.

The second, more complete answer is that a robot (WordNet definition from above link) is just an automatic mechanism. If you go to the AquaJet site (They're the hydrodemolitions company in question.) and poke around, or even just read the summary linked in the story, you'll see that the operator tells the robot where to go, how much concrete to remove, and how smooth to leave it, and the robot then decides (and executes) the proper number, speed and angle of sweeps with the proper pressure and oscillation. It doesn't mention what the second operator is for, but I suspect he's either back at the custom trailer mmaking sure the water lines feed out, or driving the reclamation truck behind the robot to suck up the water.

The third answer, for American Heritage definition #1, meaning a robot is a human-like machine, can be seen here, in the picture of the second model, which is equipped with a vaguely humanoid 'robot arm' that can move the entire assembly up and down and back and forth.

The final answer (Well, the final one I'll be giving tonight) is that using the final definition of 'robot' on the dictionary.com page above ("A mechanical device for performing a task which might otherwise be done by a human, e.g. spraying paint on cars."), this is still a robot. Of course, that's because you could, if you really wanted to, have a machine where a person with a joystick and a set of throttles manually moved and controlled the jet. But, would you really want to?

what makes this thing a 'robot' as opposed to say... just a big fscking tool?

There are several answers to that, which largely depend on your definition of robot, so take your pick.

The first answer is that there is no difference between a robot (American Heritage, definition #2) and a complicated tool.

The second, more complete answer is that a robot (WordNet definition from above link) is just an automatic mechanism. If you go to the AquaJet site (They're the hydrodemolitions company in question.) and poke around, or even just read the summary linked in the story, you'll see that the operator tells the robot where to go, how much concrete to remove, and how smooth to leave it, and the robot then decides (and executes) the proper number, speed and angle of sweeps with the proper pressure and oscillation. It doesn't mention what the second operator is for, but I suspect he's either back at the custom trailer mmaking sure the water lines feed out, or driving the reclamation truck behind the robot to suck up the water.

The third answer, for American Heritage definition #1, meaning a robot is a human-like machine, can be seen here, in the picture of the second model, which is equipped with a vaguely humanoid 'robot arm' that can move the entire assembly up and down and back and forth.

The final answer (Well, the final one I'll be giving tonight) is that using the final definition of 'robot' on the dictionary.com page above ("A mechanical device for performing a task which might otherwise be done by a human, e.g. spraying paint on cars."), this is still a robot. Of course, that's because you could, if you really wanted to, have a machine where a person with a joystick and a set of throttles manually moved and controlled the jet. But, would you really want to?

Translation:

Roland Piquepaille writes "... You'll find more details [LINKS 1, 2 to the company's site and one from a distributor!] in this summary [THAT'S MY BLOG!]"

What it should have said:

Roland Piquepaille writes "...You'll find links 1, 2 to the company's site and one from a distributor that only L337 H4x0rz [LIKE ME!] can find [GOOGLE IS, LIKE, SO KEWL] and could have linked to directly from my Slashdot post instead of forcing you to go to my blog [LIKE PAVLOVIAN DOGS], Roland Piquepaille's "Slashdot Karma-Whoring" Technology Trends and hunt for it, just so I could bump up my karma here/ try to turn myself into a pundit."

Someone, please tell me: When will the karma-whoring end?!? OH, THE HUMANITY! ;)

Translation:

Roland Piquepaille writes "... You'll find more details [LINKS 1, 2 to the company's site and one from a distributor!] in this summary [THAT'S MY BLOG!]"

What it should have said:

Roland Piquepaille writes "...You'll find links 1, 2 to the company's site and one from a distributor that only L337 H4x0rz [LIKE ME!] can find [GOOGLE IS, LIKE, SO KEWL] and could have linked to directly from my Slashdot post instead of forcing you to go to my blog [LIKE PAVLOVIAN DOGS], Roland Piquepaille's "Slashdot Karma-Whoring" Technology Trends and hunt for it, just so I could bump up my karma here/ try to turn myself into a pundit."

Someone, please tell me: When will the karma-whoring end?!? OH, THE HUMANITY! ;)

Translation:

Roland Piquepaille writes "... You'll find more details [LINKS 1, 2 to the company's site and one from a distributor!] in this summary [THAT'S MY BLOG!]"

What it should have said:

Roland Piquepaille writes "...You'll find links 1, 2 to the company's site and one from a distributor that only L337 H4x0rz [LIKE ME!] can find [GOOGLE IS, LIKE, SO KEWL] and could have linked to directly from my Slashdot post instead of forcing you to go to my blog [LIKE PAVLOVIAN DOGS], Roland Piquepaille's "Slashdot Karma-Whoring" Technology Trends and hunt for it, just so I could bump up my karma here/ try to turn myself into a pundit."

Someone, please tell me: When will the karma-whoring end?!? OH, THE HUMANITY! ;)

Translation:

Roland Piquepaille writes "... You'll find more details [LINKS 1, 2 to the company's site and one from a distributor!] in this summary [THAT'S MY BLOG!]"

What it should have said:

Roland Piquepaille writes "...You'll find links 1, 2 to the company's site and one from a distributor that only L337 H4x0rz [LIKE ME!] can find [GOOGLE IS, LIKE, SO KEWL] and could have linked to directly from my Slashdot post instead of forcing you to go to my blog [LIKE PAVLOVIAN DOGS], Roland Piquepaille's "Slashdot Karma-Whoring" Technology Trends and hunt for it, just so I could bump up my karma here/ try to turn myself into a pundit."

Someone, please tell me: When will the karma-whoring end?!? OH, THE HUMANITY! ;)

These guys make them hydrodemolition machines.