Significant experience in technology transfer began in 1965 with the initiation of a program to assist regional industries obtain the latest technology and scientific research results for use in productivity improvement projects. In 1980 NASA's Office of Technology Utilization funded establishment of the Industrial Innovation Laboratory (IIL). IIL Personnel have since completed several significant projects involving the application of microprocessors to intelligent mechanical systems with funding from industry and supporting technologies from NASA research centers.

In 1983 a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (KU CIM) Laboratory was established. Faculty and students in this laboratory conducted research on a number of topics related to automation and robotic technologies for the "factory of the future" with industry, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD, with funding from the U.S. Navy.

In 1988 a long-term augmented telerobotics research and technology transfer program was begun in cooperation with the Automation Technology Branch and Technology Utilization Office of NASA-Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) and local industry. Researchers explored the application of NASA technology in shared control of telerobotic devices, hierarchical control and microprocessor-based mechanical systems to improve space station assembly and operations.

As computer integrated manufacturing systems became more popular the KU CIM lab evolved into ISAL. The objective of ISAL was to make these computer integrated manufacturing systems more intelligent. ISAL in cooperation with Honeywell FM&T has developed automated feature recognition process planning software as well as web based expert systems for part probing and laser marking manufacturing processes. ISAL has expanded its research interests beyond manufacturing to include path planning for mobile robots and biped robot walking.