Robert Adler
| Robert Adler | |
|---|---|
Robert Adler
|
|
| Born | December 4, 1913 Vienna, Austria |
| Died | February 15, 2007 (aged 93) Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
| Residence | U.S. |
| Nationality | American -Austrian |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Zenith Electronics |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna |
| Doctoral students | None |
| Known for | wireless remote control for televisions |
| Notable awards | Edison Medal (1980) |
Robert Adler (December 4, 1913 – February 15, 2007) was an Austrian-born American inventor who held numerous patents. He worked for Zenith 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 IR remotes that could transmit more complex commands.
Adler was born in Vienna in 1913, the son of Jenny (née Herzmark), a doctor, and Max Adler, a social theorist. He earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Vienna in 1937. Following Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany in 1939, Dr. Adler, who was Jewish, left the country. He traveled first to Belgium, then to England, where he acted on the advice of friends, who recommended that he emigrate to the United States. After emigrating to the United States, he began working at Zenith Electronics in the research division in 1941. In his lifetime, Adler was granted 58 US patents.
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 "Zenith Flash-Matic" remote control, invented by Eugene Polley, another engineer at Zenith, was the first wireless remote control, replacing the signal cable based remote control devices, which never were a success. The Flash-Matic used directional flashlight in the transmitter device, and photo cells in the television set itself. One of the major shortcomings of this technology was that if the television set was exposed to direct sunlight, it could inadvertently trigger one of the remote control functions. The company president sent the engineers back to the drawing board to come up with a better solution.
...
Wikipedia