Bucky Fuller's 1927 model for a lightweight Dymaxion house he proposed it would have doors that would sense your approach and open for you. I forget who it was, when I read the story years ago of some relative{?} of Fullers, who thought of Bucky as being liar for suggesting that.
That story then went on to say the photo-electric cell was invented a year later. I just now google info on this and this is what I found for 1904.
...' The development of the first practical photoelectric cell marks a significant advancement in the intersection of light and electricity, rooted in discoveries from the 19th century. The concept of the photoelectric effect was initially recognized by Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel, who found that light exposure could enhance the voltage in certain types of batteries. Later, Julius Elster and Hans Friedrich Geitel created a functional photoelectric cell in 1904, which utilized a vacuum chamber with two electrodes. This device emitted electrons when stimulated by light, allowing for a current to be generated, though it faced challenges like instability and sensitivity to environmental conditions. '..
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/first-practical-photoelectric-cell-developed
