When it started, SCHAFT wasn't too shy about sharing details on its technology and plans. But after the Google acquisition, it completely clammed up. At the DRC Trials, the team refused to speak to the media and tried to keep photographers away from its robot. Even information previously available on its website has now been deleted. The company did not answer messages we sent them in the past few weeks, and a Google spokesman said "it's too soon to talk about specific projects or plans," confirming only that the SCHAFT team will remain in Japan as opposed to relocating to California. Of course, this only adds to the mystique surrounding the company. How will Google combine SCHAFT's technology and expertise with those of the other robot companies it bought, especially Boston Dynamics?
We'll have to wait until Google reveals more about its plans, but in the meantime, here's everything we were able to piece together about the Japanese startup based on research papers, previously published articles and interviews, and our own observations and speculations.