Eugene Polley is the man that invented the remote control. This remote is different from the ones we have today. It looked similar to a flashlight because it was based on lights and sensors.
Of course, technology advanced a lot from then but men like Polley are the pioneers of technology. After Polley’s invention, Robert Adler (an inventor working for the same company Polley did: Zenith) set the basis of a remote control that worked by using ultrasounds instead of lights.
