Eugene Polley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eugene Polley
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| Born |
Eugene Polley
November 29, 1915 |
| Died | May 20, 2012 (aged 96) Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S.
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| Education | City Colleges of Chicago, Armour Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Engineering |
| Employer(s) | Zenith Electronics 1935 - 1982 |
| Projects | Radar, Push-button car radio, Video disks |
| Significant design | Wireless remote control for televisions |
| Awards | Technology & Engineering Emmy Award (1997); IEEE Consumer Electronics Award (2009) |
Eugene Polley (born November 29, 1915 – died May 20, 2012) was an American electrical engineer. He worked for a company called Zenith Electronics. Polley is best known for inventing the very first wireless remote control for televisions.
Contents
The Inventor of the TV Remote
Eugene Polley was born in Chicago, Illinois. This was on November 29, 1915. He went to college at the City Colleges of Chicago. He also studied at the Armour Institute of Technology. However, he left school before he finished his degree.
Starting His Career at Zenith
In 1935, Eugene Polley started working at Zenith Electronics. He began as a stock boy. Later, he moved to the parts department. There, he helped create the company's first product catalog. After that, he joined the engineering team. During World War II, he even worked on radar technology. This work was for the U.S. Department of Defense.
How the Flash-Matic Worked
In 1955, Polley created his most famous invention. It was called the Flash-Matic. This was the first wireless remote control for televisions. The Flash-Matic looked like a pistol. It used a beam of light to control the TV.
The television had four special sensors called photocells. These were placed at the corners of the screen. When you aimed the remote at a sensor, it would do different things. You could turn the TV on or off. You could also mute the sound. And you could change the channel up or down.
Other Cool Inventions
Besides the TV remote, Eugene Polley worked on other projects. He helped develop the push-button car radio. He also contributed to the creation of video disks. These were early forms of video storage.
Polley had a long career at Zenith. He worked as a product engineer. He was also a mechanical engineer. Later, he managed different groups at the company. He even became an Assistant Division Chief. He retired after working for 47 years. During his career, he earned 18 U.S. patents. A patent protects an invention.
Awards and Recognition
Eugene Polley received many honors for his work. In 1997, he shared an award with another engineer, Robert Adler. They both received a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award. This was for their pioneering work on wireless remote controls for TV.
In 2009, Polley received another important award. It was the IEEE Consumer Electronics Award. This award recognized his contributions to wireless remote control technology. It was for televisions and other electronic products.
Later Life and Passing
Eugene Polley passed away on May 20, 2012. He was 96 years old. He died at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois. His death was announced by Zenith Electronics. He had worked for Zenith from 1935 until 1982.
