remote control

References

remote control

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Remote control refers to the operation of a device or mechanism from a distance, typically using a radio signal. This concept allows for control over something without being physically present at its location.1

A common application is in remote-controlled devices, such as toy cars, robots, or drones, which are operated by means of remote control. The technology for remote control was first documented in 1903.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

John Hays Hammond, Jr.
inventor whose development of radio remote control served as the basis for modern missile guidance systems.
Read More
inventor whose development of radio remote control served as the basis for modern missile guidance systems.
Read More

telecommunications media
The free-space channel
…transmitter is the handheld infrared remote control for television and high-fidelity audio systems. Free-space optical systems also are quite common in measurement and remote sensing applications, such as optical range-finding and velocity determination, industrial quality control, and laser altimetry radar (known as LIDAR).
Read More
…transmitter is the handheld infrared remote control for television and high-fidelity audio systems. Free-space optical systems also are quite common in measurement and remote sensing applications, such as optical range-finding and velocity determination, industrial quality control, and laser altimetry radar (known as LIDAR).
Read More

stagecraft
Dimmers
…allowed the dimmer to be remotely controlled—its control circuit needed almost daily maintenance to run properly. Theatrical applications of the magnetic amplifier dimmer lasted only a few decades; it was quickly superseded by the SCR dimmer, which became the standard in stage lighting in the 1960s. Like the thyratron tube…
Read More
…allowed the dimmer to be remotely controlled—its control circuit needed almost daily maintenance to run properly. Theatrical applications of the magnetic amplifier dimmer lasted only a few decades; it was quickly superseded by the SCR dimmer, which became the standard in stage lighting in the 1960s. Like the thyratron tube…
Read More

Nikola Tesla
…a teleautomatic boat guided by remote control. When skepticism was voiced, Tesla proved his claims for it before a crowd in Madison Square Garden.
Read More
…a teleautomatic boat guided by remote control. When skepticism was voiced, Tesla proved his claims for it before a crowd in Madison Square Garden.
Read More