Remote Controls

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Remote controls – these days we can’t seem to function without them. In modern-day living, remote controls have virtually become an extra limb that we cannot do without.

The Germans first began using them during World War I, to control motorboats and airplanes that would destroy ships by crashing into them. The Second World War saw bombs that were controlled by remote devices. In fact, the first use of remotes in our homes began after the war, when remote controlled garage doors started being manufactured. The T.V. remote followed suit. It was aptly called ‘Lazy Bones,’ and was made by Zenith Corporation, an American company.

Early remote controls were not wireless, and were in fact attached to cables connecting it to the T.V. Subsequent developments saw the making of Flashmatic, the wireless remote that had to be pointed at the television set. The next generation of remote controls used high-frequency sound to transmit signals, and only in the 80s did the prototype of the modern remote control come into existence. These remotes used infrared (IR) radiation to send and receive signals. Today the majority of the remotes manufactured are based on this technology, although some manufacturers use radio-based remotes or those that work with Bluetooth technology.

In present times almost every gadget we own needs a remote control, from TVs, music systems, VCRs and DVD players to home theater systems, some of which require as many as six separate remotes. The day is not far away, when every single gadget we use will need a remote. That is the main reason behind the development of universal remotes, which can control multiple gadgets and be used for almost all the prominent brands. With the addition of these additional features, the appearance of the remote control too has evolved. Gone are the simple remotes that had circular or rectangular buttons on a slim black console. Now remotes have fliptops that open to reveal LCD screens and exhaustive menus.

From controlling home and office appliances to directing robots, weapons and even equipment to be used in space, the humble remote control has come a long away and has now literally become a symbol of power in our hands.

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