Robert Adler
Robert Adler | |
---|---|
Edison Medal (1980) | |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Physics |
Institutions | Zenith Electronics |
Robert Adler (December 4, 1913 – February 15, 2007) was an Austrian-American inventor who held numerous patents. He worked for Zenith Electronics, retiring as the company's Vice President and Director of Research. His work included developing early sound-based remote controls for televisions, which were the standard for 25 years until replaced by infrared (IR) remotes that could transmit more complex commands.
Achievements
Adler was born in
Contributions to the remote control
The invention Adler is best known for is the wireless remote control for televisions. While not the first remote control, its underlying technology was a vast improvement over previous remote control systems.
The "
A system based on
Adler's solution was to use sound waves to transmit signals to the TV. The first remote control he developed, the "Space Commander", used
In the 1960s, Adler modified the remote control to use ultrasonic signals, a technology which went on to be used in television sets manufactured for the next 25 years, until replaced by infrared systems which could transmit more complex commands but required batteries to run.
Professional accomplishments
By the time of his retirement from Zenith, officially in 1982, Adler was the company's Vice President and Director of Research. He remained a technical advisor to Zenith until 1999. In 1980, Adler was awarded the
Death
Robert Adler died in a Boise, Idaho, nursing home of heart failure at age 93.
References
- ^ The Associated Press. February 16, 2007. Archived from the originalon February 19, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- ^ Katie Hafner (February 20, 2007). "Robert Adler, Zenith Physicist, Dies at 93". The New York Times. p. A17. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
- ISBN 9780313264566. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
- ^ "My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Robert Adler". familytreemaker.genealogy.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Inventor of Remote Control: Robert Adler". InventorSpot.com. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
- ^ "United States Patent Application: 0070024599 - Acoustic touch sensor with low-profile diffractive grating transducer assembly". United States Patent and Trademark Office.
External links
- Inventor of the Week Archive - Robert Adler
- Robert Adler at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- Robert Adler: Biography of the Inventor Who Made Life Easier for Couch Potatoes
- The Inventor Who Deserves a Sitting Ovation - The Washington Post
- Robert Adler, 94; Engineer, Co-Inventor of TV Remote Control - The Washington Post
- Obituary, The Independent, 22 February 2007
- Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 13 March 2007
- Obituary and Archive of American Television interview description
- Biography from IEEE