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Smart cam or electronic cam is a combination of a computer program for motion definition and a high‐performance servo mechanism. By using this, one can obtain a high‐speed, reliable and application‐oriented motion, just as obtained from a mechanical cam system. Hard cams are dedicated and difficult to change, but smart cams are flexible in stroke, in timing, etc. With the progress of computer and servo technology, smart cams are becoming widely used. In this report the methods used to create smart cams are discussed and some examples are shown. The experimental results of these examples show excellent performance which is as good as hard cams.

A new system of leasing robots to industry with aid of funds from both small and large banks appears to be attracting little interest from Japanese industry. The system does, however, offer potential for British industry short of funds to invest in new plant and equipment.

The role of robots in automatic assembly as viewed by industry in Japan, including some of the major robot makers, is reported by John Hartley.

Fast automatic assembly of fuel gauges is just one of the many advances the Japanese are making in automated assembly, as John Hartley indicates in his report from the Tokyo International Conference on Production Engineering.

Some robot makers look for new applications, while others seek overseas partners, but demand for more of the same robots continues.

The emphasis at the Tokyo Robot 81 Exhibition was on welding and assembly robots. Japanese manufacturers are continually bringing out new designs as John Hartley describes in this exhibition report.

Many academic papers were presented at the Symposium in Tokyo, but there was evidence of solid progress in welding and in one or two other areas. John Hartley reports.

Low volume means different things to different companies; at Shimano Industrial, the world's largest maker of gears for bicycles, low volume involves production runs of up to 30,000 units/month. Medium volume involves 50,000–100,000 units/month, and to qualify as high volume, runs need to be over 200,000/month. In fact, the biggest run — a crank lever for a bicycle — involves 800,000 units monthly.

This paper aims to trace the technological and commercial developments in robotics over the last 50 years, from 1973, the year in which this journal was founded, to the present day.

Following an introduction, this identifies key robot developments on a decade-by-decade basis and considers research, products, applications and corporate activity and also highlights many of the enabling technologies. Brief conclusions are draw.

The robot industry has changed beyond all recognition during the last half century. Enabled by developments in microelectronics, computing, sensors, imaging technologies, data communication and power sources, today robots satisfy a multitude of applications and play a role in almost every sphere of human activity.

This provides a detailed review of robotic developments during the last 50 years.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.