The first TV remote control, called ‘Lazy Bones’, was developed in 1950 by Zenith Electronics Corporation. Lazy Bones used a cable that ran from the TV-set to the viewer. In 1956, Zenith’s Dr. Robert Adler suggested using ‘ultrasonic’s’, that is, high-frequency sound, beyond the range of human hearing. In 1955, the Flash-o-Matic was invented. A flashlight was shined towards light sensitive cells in each of the four corners of TV-set. Each corner had a different function. They turned the TV-set on and off, changed the channel and controlled the volume. However, people often forgot which corner of the TV-set operated which control. Also, if the set was in sunlight, the sun’s rays would affect the operations of the TV-set. In 1957, a group of engineers developed the Zenith ‘Space Command’, a wireless remote control using ultrasonic waves. The problem with the ultrasonic control was that clinking metal, such as dog tags, could affect the TV-set. High frequencies sometimes also made dogs bark. The ultrasonic remote was used for two decades until engineers discovered a better way to operate TV-sets, i.e. the infrared remote control.
TV Remote Control
