So where did the humble remote control get its start? The idea of controlling the family television wirelessly from a distance has been around for far longer than you might imagine, and Electronic House’s latest article takes us back for a look at the history and development of the first remote control. Readers may also be interested in our own look at the very first universal remote control, released in 1985.

A History of TV Remote Controls

It's hard to imagine life without remote controls, but it's been a long, strange path to the modern incarnation we know and love today.

The first TV remote in our house wasn’t ultrasonic, infrared, or even mechanical. It was me. During a typical evening of family television viewing, I’d burn more calories than in a month of junior high gym classes.

All of that took place long after Zenith Radio Corporation introduced the world’s first television remote control in 1950. The “Lazy Bones,” as it was called, worked OK, activating a motorized mechanical tuner on the TV set to which it was linked. The problem is that its link was a long cable. The convenience of being able to switch between the few channels available at the time was offset by the potential danger posed by a cord that had to be deftly avoided in dim light during commercial break food and bathroom runs.

For more, check out Electronic House.

To view slideshow of past remote control models click here.