The concept of the television remote control was conceptualized and patented in the 1890s by Nikola Tesla. During World War I, the Germans developed a remote control they could use to control boats. Since that time, the military application of remote controls has continued to evolve and is still used today.
It was not until the 1930s when the first remote controls were built for consumers. The first wireless, battery operated remotes were developed by Philco and used with their high-end radios. However, the radio remote control did not really make a big impact, since consumers at that time did not mind getting up to turn the radio on or off, change stations, or adjust the volume.
In the 1950s, as more people were getting televisions for their homes, one of the biggest complaints was having to get up and change channels. To address this issue, Zenith started to offer wired remotes with some TV models in the early 1950s. Then, in 1955, Eugene Polley, an engineer for Zenith, developed the first wireless remote control for televisions, aptly named the “Flash-matic.”
Zenith’s wireless remote has continued to evolve and change from the original remote invented in 1955. Today, remotes use infrared, Bluetooth, and other such technologies to control a wide array of products and devices, as well as universal remotes to control multiple devices.
If you require replacement remotes for TV, garage door openers, and other devices, please feel free to contact Replacement Remotes today at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683).
Sources:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/repurposed-inventions/history-of-remote-control1.htm
http://inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/remote_control.htm