In which year did remote controls arrive

Asks Ginbottle

A. The first remote controls were used for military purposes - on radio-controlled motorboats and remote weapons in WW2. In the US an automatic garage door opener was introduced in the late 1940s. The first TV remote control was launched in 1952.

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Q. Who invented the first TV remote control

A. Zenith launched the first TV remote control onto the market in 1952. It was called 'Lazy Bones' and was attached to the TV set via a long lead. It activated a motor that rotated the tuner in the set. The actual remote box had buttons to rotate the tuner clockwise or anticlockwise to move the channel selection up or down (remember there were only a few channels available in the 1950s so it didn't have to be very complex). It also allowed the user to turn the TV on or off.

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In 1955 the�Flash-o-Matic was invented (by Eugene Polley) - it was operated by a flashlight that focused on light-sensitive cells in the four corners of the TV screen. Each corner was responsible for a different function e.g. changing the channel, volume control and for turning the set on and off. It was a great idea but didn't last for long, because it was easy to forget which corner was responsible for which function, and if the TV set was located in a sunny room - it interfered with the signals and chaos set in.

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In 1957 Zenith introduced the Space Command Remote Control (invented by Dr Roger Adler), which was wireless and operated by ultrasonic (high frequency sound) waves. There is an urban myth around that it made dogs bark whenever it was used, probably because of its high frequency - it was a concept that stuck however, and was used�(and obviously moderated) for more than 20 years.

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The transmitter used no batteries and was built around aluminium rods that when struck emitted distinctive high-frequency sound. Four rods were used in the first models that emitted slightly different sounds that corresponded with different functions e.g. volume control, changing channels etc. The remote was operated by a trigger mechanism (like a gun) that stretched a spring and released it onto a small hammer that struck the aluminium rod.

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Inside the TV set a receiver picked up the signals sent by the rods using vacuum tubes. The concept of using ultrasonics lasted for more than 20 years (over 9 million remote controls were sold) and was developed when transistors replaced vacuum tubes in the 1960s, which meant that battery powered control units could generate the ultrasonic noise electronically.

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Q. When was the Infrared TV Remote Control introduced

A. It was launched in 1981. A low frequency light beam (the human eye cannot see it) that can be seen by the TV's receiver operates the Infrared (IR) remote control.

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Inside the remote control an integrated circuit or chip detects when you press a button on the outside. It translates this command into a signal (each button on the remote will have a different signal) that it sends to the transistor, which amplifies it and makes it stronger. The transistor then sends this signal to an infrared LED (light emitting diode), which translates the signal into infrared light. The TV receiver sees this light, translates it and reacts accordingly e.g. changes the channel. It is all done in a second, which is very impressive when you actually know how much goes on.

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More information on the history of the remote control can be found at http://www.zenith.com.

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By Karen Anderson