Over the last decade there has been an exponential growth in mechatronics and intelligent systems activity, a growth which has led to the development of exciting new products which are in everyday use. The article traces the origins of mechatronics and demonstrates how the concept has grown from its beginnings in Japanese manufacturing industry to become universally accepted as an important enabling methodology for improved product design and profitability. The parallel development of the intelligent systems paradigms of fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms are also discussed and it is shown how the two subjects have become inexorably linked. The overall aim of the article is to demonstrate how the synergistic combination of these two areas has provided the driving force for innovative applications ranging from cameras and domestic washing machines to motor vehicles, ships and industrial processes.