Thinkin'. I control my dog through a "remote" called my hand and/or voice. By combining voice and hand signals he picks up hand signals fairly rapidly.

Now, there is no doubt in my mind that I could train him to find the TV-VCR-CABLE "remote" with a hand signal. Might take two or three days to teach him, but he'd learn. I'd probably just stay with the voice signal, though. He could sniff out the damned thing under three cushions after the fat lady had sat on them for a week singing her heart out.

I believe that is the answer to the problem. Not in trying to cram more controls onto the device, but ease access to the remote controls. It can be dangerous getting up off my chair. I'd risk pulling a muscle, falling, getting dizzy, or any of the many other hazards associated with actually moving a living body.

Utilizing "robot" to assist would be safer, faster, and easier.

Arf