Eugene Polley, the inventor of the first wireless TV remote control, has died at the age of 96, according to the firm he worked for.

The engineer died of natural causes on Sunday at a suburban Chicago hospital, said John Taylor, a spokesman for Zenith Electronics.

TV enthusiasts everywhere have Polley to thank for hours of feet-up, channel surfing. His invention began as a luxury, but has become a necessity in an era of hundreds of TV channels and home cinema systems - just ask anyone who has lost a remote.

Polley's 1955 Flash-Matic pointed a beam of light at photo cells in the corners of the TV screen. This activated the picture and sound and changed channels.

Polley and fellow Zenith engineer Robert Adler were honoured in 1997 with an Emmy for their work in pioneering TV remotes.

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