One block away from Boston’s fabled Charles River lies a futuristic technology lab on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Last week, the “Media Lab,” which hosts two dozen research groups involved in a wide array of projects, celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, according to CNET.

Current research projects run the gamut from robotics experiments to high-tech prosthetics development, holographic video, 3-D printing and many more. Joi Ito, director of the lab, told CNET that the projects are unified by their foundation in a “synthesis between art, science, engineering and design.”

The business community and especially the tech sector are especially interested in the Media Lab’s projects, providing the bulk of the $60 million in funding the lab needs annually. More than eighty companies, including Google, Intel, Twitter, Toyota, GlaxoSmithKline, Estee Lauder, Ikea, New Balance and Coca-Cola have paid the $250,000 required for corporate membership in the lab.

Members receive access to lab technologies free from royalty fees, and some companies have made the deal pay off. Lego’s popular Mindstorm robot kits, for example, came out of its partnership with the lab.

But Lego isn’t the only company that has made out well in working with the Media Lab. The developer of “electronic paper” displays that make Amazon kindles and other devices easier to read, called E-link Corp, developed the technology through its work with the lab. Also, last year Spotify bought Echo Nest, a startup that incubated at the Media Lab and that produces software that enables the music matching capabilities needed for online radio and social media music sharing.

Another success came out of Media Lab’s “Camera Culture” group. The company called EyeNetra designs simple, easy to use eye tests that are enabled by smartphones and that can be done outside of an eye doctor’s office. Costing just $900, the device is much more affordable than currently used eye testing equipment.

Some Media Projects have yet to make the leap to commercialization. The Camera Culture group has designed a series of sensors tied to a laser that has the capability of capturing 1 trillion frames a second, but the project has yet to find a sponsor that can take the technology to a market where it can be most useful.