Rockwell International - Research Laboratory

Research Laboratory

Rockwell had a major research laboratory in Thousand Oaks, California founded in 1962 as the North American Science Center. In the 1970s it became the Rockwell International Science Center. The laboratory did independent contract research for the U.S. Government, and also provided research services for the company's business units. It was famous for its research in advanced materials, particularly ceramics; for its infrared imagers; for its research in liquid crystal displays; and for its high-speed electronics. The laboratory invented Metal Oxide Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). It also achieved fame in selected areas of information science, notably human-computer interaction, augmented reality, multimedia systems, and diagnostics. Rockwell Science Center led the United States Army Research Laboratory's Advanced Displays Federated Laboratory Consortium in the late 1990s. In 2000, the infrared imaging division of the laboratory moved into a new building in Camarillo, California.

After Rockwell's breakup in 2001, the laboratory was spun off as a semi-autonomous company called Rockwell Scientific, half owned by Rockwell Collins and half owned by Rockwell Automation. In 2006 the laboratory was sold to Teledyne Corporation. Teledyne made the laboratory's building in Thousand Oaks into its corporate headquarters. A reduced research and development operation still exists and is now known as Teledyne Scientific and Imaging.