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Who invented the remote control?
Notes & Quotes
Who invented the remote control?
The invention of the remote control all began when Eugene McDonald Jr, founder-president of US manufacturers Zenith, decided viewers would appreciate being able to ‘tune out annoying commercials’. We have a lot to thank Eugene for!
Zenith’s first remote, dubbed the ‘Lazy Bones’ was produced in 1950. Viewers could turn the television on and off, and switch channels, but unfortunately, it was connected to the television by a long cable; heading to the kitchen to replenish supplies was somewhat hazardous.
To rectify this problem in 1955, the company brought out the Flash-Matic a remote which flashed beams of light at photocells on each corner of the television cabinet. This remote could adjust the volume too. But unfortunately, the photocells reacted to sunlight, and if the sun shone on the TV, the tuner could start rotating. Clearly some advances were needed. Engineers experimented with radio signal remotes next, but found them so effective they could change the channel on a neighbour’s television.
A Zenith engineer, Robert Adler, came up with a solution that used ultra-sonic technology (which humans cannot hear) rather than light to communicate between the remote and the set. Pressing a button on the remote depressed one of four aluminium rods. Each rod emitted different sounds, and the television would interpret each of these as channel-up or down; sound up or down; and power on or off. A button could be squeezed to depress a rod towards a spring, which enabled it to rise again. Each rod was called a ‘vibrator element’ which varied in length so emitting different noises. A miniature hammer struck home to create a sound, rather like a tuning fork. The patent also explained the electrical circuits needed by the television to interpret the sounds correctly. Adler’s invention had two advantages over modern remotes: it needed no batteries and did not have to be pointed at the television.
Zenith patented Adler’s invention in 1956 and marketed it the same year as the Space Command 400, a futuristic name that brought the technology of James Bond into the living room. The cost of incorporating the technology added US$100 or about 30% to the cost of televisions, and of course the remote only worked with Zenith televisions.
Despite this, consumers warmed to the idea. For, as the patent stated: ‘It is highly desirable to provide a system to regulate the receiver operation without requiring the observer to leave the normal viewing position.’ But even this technology had its drawbacks. Sometimes ultrasonic sounds could trigger changes in the television, and the high frequencies it used to communicate with the television could cause dogs in the neighbourhood to howl.
The development of television knobs, from old style tuners that had to be turned manually to electronic controls, eased the way for future remote controls in the 1980s. There have been several advances in the remote’s technology, from transistor and infrared-light emitting diodes to digital technology.
These remotes are far more sophisticated than the Space Command and are fast penetrating our home life. A man can no longer confidently command the evening’s entertainment with a remote thanks to a bewildering variety of remotes now piling up in front of home entertainment systems. There are now remotes for almost every home activity. Meanwhile, doctors warn about the harmful effects of the ‘remote control’ lifestyle. Could rising obesity levels see the end to the remote control? Or will there be remotes for our walking machines? Only time will tell.
The invention of the remote control all began when Eugene McDonald Jr, founder-president of US manufacturers Zenith, decided viewers would appreciate being able to ‘tune out annoying commercials’. We have a lot to thank Eugene for!
Zenith’s first remote, dubbed the ‘Lazy Bones’ was produced in 1950. Viewers could turn the television on and off, and switch channels, but unfortunately, it was connected to the television by a long cable; heading to the kitchen to replenish supplies was somewhat hazardous.
To rectify this problem in 1955, the company brought out the Flash-Matic a remote which flashed beams of light at photocells on each corner of the television cabinet. This remote could adjust the volume too. But unfortunately, the photocells reacted to sunlight, and if the sun shone on the TV, the tuner could start rotating. Clearly some advances were needed. Engineers experimented with radio signal remotes next, but found them so effective they could change the channel on a neighbour’s television.
A Zenith engineer, Robert Adler, came up with a solution that used ultra-sonic technology (which humans cannot hear) rather than light to communicate between the remote and the set. Pressing a button on the remote depressed one of four aluminium rods. Each rod emitted different sounds, and the television would interpret each of these as channel-up or down; sound up or down; and power on or off. A button could be squeezed to depress a rod towards a spring, which enabled it to rise again. Each rod was called a ‘vibrator element’ which varied in length so emitting different noises. A miniature hammer struck home to create a sound, rather like a tuning fork. The patent also explained the electrical circuits needed by the television to interpret the sounds correctly. Adler’s invention had two advantages over modern remotes: it needed no batteries and did not have to be pointed at the television.
Zenith patented Adler’s invention in 1956 and marketed it the same year as the Space Command 400, a futuristic name that brought the technology of James Bond into the living room. The cost of incorporating the technology added US$100 or about 30% to the cost of televisions, and of course the remote only worked with Zenith televisions.
Despite this, consumers warmed to the idea. For, as the patent stated: ‘It is highly desirable to provide a system to regulate the receiver operation without requiring the observer to leave the normal viewing position.’ But even this technology had its drawbacks. Sometimes ultrasonic sounds could trigger changes in the television, and the high frequencies it used to communicate with the television could cause dogs in the neighbourhood to howl.
The development of television knobs, from old style tuners that had to be turned manually to electronic controls, eased the way for future remote controls in the 1980s. There have been several advances in the remote’s technology, from transistor and infrared-light emitting diodes to digital technology.
These remotes are far more sophisticated than the Space Command and are fast penetrating our home life. A man can no longer confidently command the evening’s entertainment with a remote thanks to a bewildering variety of remotes now piling up in front of home entertainment systems. There are now remotes for almost every home activity. Meanwhile, doctors warn about the harmful effects of the ‘remote control’ lifestyle. Could rising obesity levels see the end to the remote control? Or will there be remotes for our walking machines? Only time will tell.
