First wireless TV remote

We often think of remote control tech as being relatively modern, but the first wireless remote control for a TV was introduced as long ago as 1955. Designed by Eugene Polley, an engineer at Zenith Electronics in the USA, the "Zenith Flash-Matic" remote control was the first wireless remote control for TV sets. It worked by pointing a directional torch flashlight, looking a lot like a sci-fi ray-gun, at four photocells, one in each corner of the television set. This enabled the user to turn the picture and sound on and off, as well as to turn the channel tuner dial clockwise and counter-clockwise. The major drawback of this technology was that if the television set was placed in direct sunlight, it could inadvertently trigger one of the remote control functions. The technique of using light to control TVs is still the method by which most modern infra-red TV remotes work today. The sunlight issue caused the Flash-Matic to be replaced by the Zenith Space Command, designed by Robert Adler in 1956. The new remote used four tuning forks hit by a small hammer when one of four buttons was clicked to operate the TV. The cost of the six extra vacuum tubes needed to amplify the remote tones and control the TV raised the cost of a standard TV by 30% over the Flash-Matic.