With the future of federal funding in doubt, an Oregon facility takes its first step in robotics

With the future of federal funding in doubt, an Oregon facility takes its first step in robotics

In a Salem factory on a Tuesday afternoon, Digit the robot is being tested. The humanlike robot uses its two legs to walk up to a storage bin. Digit’s two arms reach for the bin, and its clawlike hands grip the sides. The robot gracefully lifts the storage box up so it’s level with its torso. Digit turns so that its head — which looks similar to a small projector with a white screen — faces the storage bin’s intended location. As part of its tes…