The Complete Handbook of Remote Control Robots

Chapter 1: Understanding Remote Control Robots

A remote control robot is a mobile machine that you operate from a distance using a radio link, rather than a physical tether or an onboard computer. The category sits within toys and games in the retail tree, but the technology and the ways people use it extend far beyond the toy aisle. A classroom uses a tracked robot to demonstrate basic physics. A film studio uses a wheeled unit to move a camera through a tight space. A farm uses a conversion kit to turn a hobby chassis into a mobile sensor platform. The principles are the same across all of these applications. Understanding those principles is what turns a purchase from a gamble into an investment.

At its core, a remote control robot is a system of four main subsystems: a control transmitter held by the operator, a receiver mounted on the robot, a drive and steering mechanism, and a power source. The transmitter and receiver are linked by radio. When the operator pushes a stick or presses a switch, that input is converted into a signal, transmitted in a specific frequency band, and read by the receiver. The receiver then sends commands to a speed controller or servo, which translates the electrical signal into mechanical movement. The power source supplies the voltage and current necessary for the motors, the receiver, and any additional electronics. That is the whole system in its simplest form. Every remote control robot, from a 10-dollar toy