Robert Adler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Adler
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Robert Adler
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| Born | December 4, 1913 |
| Died | February 15, 2007 (aged 93) |
| Nationality | American - Austrian |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna |
| Known for | wireless remote control for televisions |
| Awards | Edison Medal (1980) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Zenith Electronics |
| Doctoral students | None |
Robert Adler (born December 4, 1913 – died February 15, 2007) was an amazing Austrian-American inventor. He held many patents, which are like official documents that protect new inventions.
He worked for a company called Zenith Electronics. He eventually became the Vice President and Director of Research there. Robert Adler helped create early remote controls for televisions that used sound. These were the main type of remote for 25 years! Later, they were replaced by infrared (IR) remotes, which could send more complex commands.
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Who Was Robert Adler?
Robert Adler was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1913. He earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Vienna in 1937.
In 1938, because of political changes in Austria, Adler, who was Jewish, left his home country. He first traveled to Belgium, then to England. Friends advised him to move to the United States.
After moving to the U.S., he started working at Zenith Electronics in 1941. During his life, Adler received more than 180 U.S. patents for his inventions!
How Did He Improve the Remote Control?
Robert Adler is most famous for his work on the wireless remote control for televisions. While he didn't invent the very first remote, his ideas greatly improved how they worked.
Another engineer at Zenith, Eugene Polley, invented the "Zenith Flash-Matic." This was the first wireless remote control. It used a special flashlight to send signals to photocells on the TV.
However, this remote had a problem: if sunlight hit the TV, it could accidentally change the channel! The company wanted a better solution.
Engineers thought about using radio waves, but those signals could go through walls and accidentally change a neighbor's TV channel. Also, Zenith wanted a remote that didn't need batteries. At the time, people worried that if a battery died, they might think the TV was broken.
Adler's smart idea was to use sound waves to control the TV. His first remote, called the "Space Commander," used small aluminum rods. These rods were like tuning forks. When you pressed a button, a tiny hammer would strike a rod, making a high-pitched sound. The TV would then "hear" this sound and perform the command.
In the 1960s, Adler updated the remote to use ultrasonic signals. This technology was used in TVs for the next 25 years! Eventually, infrared remotes took over because they could send more complex commands, even though they needed batteries.
Robert Adler's Career and Awards
Robert Adler officially retired from Zenith in 1982. By then, he was the company's Vice President and Director of Research. He continued to be a technical advisor for Zenith until 1999.
In 1980, Adler received the Edison Medal, a very important award for electrical engineers. In 1997, Adler and Eugene Polley (who invented the Flash-Matic) were both given an Emmy Award for their contributions to television.
Robert Adler's very last patent application was filed on October 6, 2006. This was for his work on touchscreen technology, showing he was inventing almost until the end of his life!
His Final Years
Robert Adler passed away in a Boise, Idaho, nursing home on February 15, 2007. He was 93 years old and died of heart failure.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Adler para niños
