Radio control
Radio control is controlling vehicles by radio wave signals. It is often used for making models of cars, boats, helicopters and airplanes move on their own like real ones. For controlling models, an operator uses a transmitter that has the model's controls on it. When a control is moved, the radio signal changes. The part on the model that takes the changing signals and helps turn them into movement is called the receiver. The receiver then tells a special kind of motor called a servo to move part of the model.
On a car or boat, a servo is usually used for steering. Model sailboats use a servo to adjust the sail as well as the rudder, or steering device. On airplanes and helicopters, servos are used not only for steering but for up and down pitch. If the model uses an engine to make it run, a servo is used to control the speed of the engine. A model which operates with an electric motor usually has something called an electronic speed control or "ESC" to control its speed.
Unmanned aerial vehicles controlled by radio are used for many purposes, including war.
Radio Control Media
US Air Force MQ-1 Predator drone flown remotely by a pilot on the ground
Quadcopter, a popular radio-controlled toy
In 1898, Tesla demonstrated a radio-controlled scale boat.
The Telekino, invented by Leonardo Torres Quevedo in 1903, which executed commands transmitted by electromagnetic waves
Radio control gear invented by John Hays Hammond, Jr. installed in the battleship USS Iowa (1922)
A boy runs his radio controlled boat in Ystad's marina 2019.
This radio-controlled airplane is carrying a scale model of Lockheed Martin X-33 and is taking part in NASA research.
