What does the "Digla" represent in the novel, Fiasco?

The single greatest symbol of the power and technology at the miners' disposal is the Digla, a strider-type machine the size of some of today's sea vessels. The list of its parameters includes: "Maximum operating power 14,000 kilowatts; overload limit 19,000 kw; rest mass 1680 tons; reactor multishielded Tokamak with Foucault converter; hydraulic drive; main transmission, and gears by Rolls Royce; chassis made in Sweden." In a triumph of transformed function, the steering system of this colossus consists only of several colored cubes and a rumpled piece of clothing. This body suit collects impulses from the rider's body and translates them into a chain of commands for the giant machine.