In recent years there has been an unprecedented increase in the development of automated instrumentation for ophthalmic diagnostic and assessment purposes. An important part of this growth in automated clinical ophthalmic instrumentation has been directed to perimetry and visual field testing. In less than 15 years automated perimetry has advanced from a laboratory curiosity to become the standard for clinical visual field testing. This paper will provide a brief overview of the impact that automated perimetry has had on current clinical ophthalmic practice and patient management. It is presented as a general example of the influence that automated instrumentation has exerted on the clinical environment.