# Nikola Tesla's Remote Control System for Boats > Nikola Tesla's 1898 patent for controlling a boat's movement and steering from a distance using radio waves and electrical signals. - **Patent:** US 613809 - **Original title:** Method of and apparatus for controlling mechanism of moving vessels or vehicles - **Owner:** Individual - **Granted:** 1898 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 15 - **Field:** telecommunications, mechanical, consumer_electronics ## What it does This patent describes a system for controlling a vessel from a remote location using electromagnetic waves. A receiver on the boat detects these waves, which trigger a sensitive device—a cylinder filled with metal grains—to activate internal relays. These relays then control electric motors that handle the vessel's propulsion and rudder position. The system uses a clockwork mechanism to reset the receiver after each signal, ensuring it remains ready for the next command. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover modern digital radio communication protocols like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. - Does not cover autonomous navigation systems that rely on GPS or onboard sensors. - Does not cover systems that use infrared light for signaling. - Does not cover software-based control algorithms. ## The clever bit Tesla used a 'coherer'—a cylinder of metal grains—as a radio receiver that could be physically shaken or rotated by clockwork to reset it, allowing it to detect a new signal after each command. ## Real-world examples 1. Radio-controlled model boats 2. Early remote-controlled torpedoes 3. Foundational concepts for modern drones ## Why it matters This patent is a foundational document for the field of telemechanics, or remote control. Tesla famously demonstrated this technology in 1898 at Madison Square Garden with a radio-controlled boat, shocking the public who believed it was magic or a trained animal inside the hull. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Nikola Tesla's Remote Control System for Boats cover? Nikola Tesla's 1898 patent for controlling a boat's movement and steering from a distance using radio waves and electrical signals. ### Who owns patent US 613809? Individual owns this patent, granted in 1898. ### When does this patent expire? This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely. ### What is patent US 613809 cited by? This patent has been cited by 15 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This patent is a foundational document for the field of telemechanics, or remote control. Tesla famously demonstrated this technology in 1898 at Madison Square Garden with a radio-controlled boat, shocking the public who believed it was magic or a trained animal inside the hull. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover modern digital radio communication protocols like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/613809/tesla-remote-control-teleautomaton **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US613809 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Marconi Patented Early Wireless Telegraphy Signals](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/586193/radio-wireless-marconi) — Guglielmo Marconi's 1897 patent for sending electrical signals through the air to enable early wireless communication. - [How a Boat Guides Air and Underwater Drones for Data Collection](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10317904/underwater-leading-drone-system) — This patent describes a system where a watercraft follows a planned route, guiding an aerial drone that stays a fixed distance ahead, which in turn tows a tethered underwater drone to collect combined air and sea data. - [How the First Wireless Television Remote Control Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2817025/tv-remote-control-adler-zenith) — Robert Adler's 1957 invention of the Space Command remote, which used ultrasonic sound waves to control television functions without wires or batteries. - [How a Drone Flies Ahead of a Moving Ground or Water Vehicle](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20180321681/leading-drone-method) — This patent describes a method where an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flies ahead of a mobile base station, like a boat or ground vehicle, by predicting the base station's future path and scouting the area in advance. - [How a Drone Can Fly Ahead of a Moving Vehicle](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10133281/leading-drone-system) — This patent describes a system where a drone flies a non-linear path, deliberately spaced from a moving ground or water vehicle, using the vehicle's future path information to stay ahead or in a specific relative position.