How a Radio Controlled Car Works

Radio controlled cars are self-powered toy vehicles that can be controlled with a special remote control. Inside the cars are small motors, circuit boards and receivers. Inside the remote controls are tiny antennas, circuit boards and transmitters. When properly combined, these components result in complex and entertaining devices.

The Remote Control

Inside the remote control is a circuit breaker that features two metal contacts on the bottom and a small transmitter on the top. The two contacts are near the steering joystick. When the joystick is moved up or down, it touches one of them and completes a circuit. The signal created by this action travels to the transmitter on other side of the circuit board, which then emits it as radio waves through the antenna. The pulsating radio waves oscillate fast, several million times a second, and contain instructions for the toy car that it is programmed to understand, such as "go forward," "back up" or "turn". 

The Car

Inside the car is a circuit board and a small receiver. The receiver continuously searches for radio waves and sends the pulse information to its circuit board. There, the information is interpreted and acted upon. For example, if the remote control's joystick is moved up, the resulting radio waves tell the receiver to send a charge from the car's battery to its front motor so that it can move forward. The forward motion is the result of the front motor. When prompted, this turns a small gear, which turns the axle and propels the car.