The most important improvements and innovations since 1973 in the automatic perimeter Octopus are described. On the one hand, they include instrumental modifications, namely spatial separation of the perimeter from its control panel, the introduction of step motors in order to increase the accuracy of setting of the stimulus coordinates, the tilting of the perimeter cupola and patient in order to increase stability and comfort of the latter, a fully automated fixation control system, the use of a magnetic-tape recording system, providing analytical programs for the computer and recording computer-answers at the same time. On the other hand, progress has been made in the optimisation of threshold determination methods in the visual field and in the design of methods for the graphical display of the sensitivity distribution across the visual field.