Garage door technology has been a relatively uninventive field; the technology used for most garage doors was invented in 1926. But as more of our daily lives center around technology, the future of garage door remotes may lie within our smartphones.
History of Garage Door Remotes
In 1926, C.G. Johnson invented an automatic garage door opener that could be operated by a control box connected to the garage. Later in 1931, two inventors independently invented a device that would do the same task, but wirelessly. Using a simple radio frequency between a chip in the garage door opener and the wireless remote, the door could be opened at the push of a button.
For the next several decades, the technology remained the same, but was sparsely used. Since a radio frequency can be recorded and matched, a remote-controlled garage door could be broken into rather easily. This coupled with the hefty premium on automatic garage doors made them a remarkable sight, and a great convenience.
As radio technology became cheaper and more secure, automatic garage doors were able to make a comeback. Between the 80s and the present, radio signals became near impossible to record and reproduce by an outside party, and this made garage door remotes a staple in cars across suburbia. The remote itself has been the same for nearly a century, being a small button on a fob, but the technology inside has become incalculably more advanced. But the next change in garage door remotes may be around the corner due to the tech company explosion.
Where are Garage Door Remotes Heading?
If you are attached to your garage door remote, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate because garage door remotes may soon fall by the wayside. Bluetooth garage door openers are beginning to become more common, which means a physical remote may be entirely replaced by your smartphone. While the true future of garage door remotes is not certain, it begins to look increasingly like using smartphones as Bluetooth garage door openers will become more and more common.