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FXPAL—An Interdisciplinary Lab
Palo Alto, California

A collegial atmosphere is one of the hallmarks of FXPAL in California.

On the west side of Silicon Val- ley, nestled in the base of the foothills and slightly to the south of Stanford University sits FXPAL, or FX Palo Alto Laboratory. Despite its small size, or perhaps because of it, this lab has been a nexus for interdisciplinary research, creativity, and technical innovation in the 15 years since its creation.

FXPAL was founded in 1995 as a way to foster innovation and build new business for Fuji Xerox, which is how it got its “FX.” Xerox wanted to get a finger on the pulse of what was going on in the booming technology industry. What emerged was a software research lab with a friendly, tight-knit culture, a wide variety of interests, and a wealth of research.

Research interns at
FXPAL truly get the
opportunity to be
a part of the FXPAL
family. The company
culture is warm and
inviting, and there
is the distinct sense
that people enjoy
their work.”

FXPAL is deliberately small, with
a staff of only about 25 researchers.
Areas of expertise span computer vi-
sion, human-computer interaction,
information retrieval, mixed and aug-
mented reality, data mining, computer
security, and several other fields. This
diversity enables a unique environ-
ment that few researchers ever have
the opportunity to experience: a com-
bination of varied expertise and a place
where “everybody knows your name.”
In fact, people who work at FXPAL
can’t help but know everyone else at
the lab. It’s so small, it only takes a few
minutes to walk all the way around the
entire building. As research tells us,
collocation leads to informal (sponta-
neous) communication, which can feed
creativity and collaboration. Suffice to
say, opportunities to work across disci-
plines on new ideas are numerous.

Despite its tiny staff roster, FXPAL’s collaborations aren’t confined to what goes on in just one tiny building. The lab partners with multiple external organizations, such as TCHO, a chocolate company located in San Francisco that called upon FXPAL to help it explore ways to leverage technology in its factory, even when nobody is there. FXPAL maintains solid relationships around the San Francisco Bay area, and hosts visitors from both near and far.