So... your dishwasher, printer, washing machine, oven, and thermostat? All carry out "complex actions automatically" and are controlled by computers. No one would consider these "robots".
With all due respect, there is no agreed-upon definition. (As someone with a PhD in robotics, CEO of a robotics company, & robotics journalist for 10+ years. Even my old academic advisor and I had contention around 3D printers.) If that's not enough, here's a proper source: http://robohub.org/robohub-roundtable-why-is-it-so-difficult...
The best definition I've ever heard: A robot is a device that doesn't work (yet); as soon as it works, it is renamed (Vacuum robot => Roomba; clothes cleaning robot => washing machine; etc.)
By that definition a card board mock up would be a robot too. I agree with the grandparent that a squishy thing that just flails its arms is not what most people would consider a "robot", experts included.
I think 'autonomous' is the more problematic term in the article because implies some kind of `intelligence`. AFAIU this `robot` doesn't do much to be considered intelligent in any way.
>> a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.
The Mars rovers... robots. Squishybot here is a technology platform demonstrator. It shows that you could build one with these techniques.