Tesla's Boat

student created summary:

by Grayson C.

Tesla's Radio-controlled boat was one of the first basic drones of the 19th century, Tesla once said, "The world moves slowly, and new truths are difficult to see" It was his way of responding to the awe of the people in his room as he used a small, radio transmitting control box, he was able to maneuver a tiny ship around a pool and flash lights that were on the boat by a controller. At that time, very few people even knew that radio waves even excised and Tesla was pushing the boundaries of science again. When he unveiled the invention at the 1898 exhibition, the display contained a 4 foot long ship and an indoor pool paired with a control box that included various levers. The ship had 3 antennas attached for receiving signals, as well as a few lights. It was driven by a screw propeller, with a keel and rudder in the standard position for a amphibious vessel. Inside the hull contained an electrical motor, battery, and a mechanism for receiving the radio signals. Newspaper headlines chose to focus on Teslas device as a new war machine although Tesla never intended the device to be used in warfare.