Remote controlled, self-propelled toy vehicles such as cars or trucks have been in use for years. In many designs, a control module having a joy stick or other steering device is coupled to a circuit that includes an RF transmitter capable of producing control signals in response to input from the steering device. These signals are transmitted to an RF receiver in the vehicle coupled to a circuit that controls movement of the wheels of the vehicle and the motor that propels it. More sophisticated designs have modules with controls for braking, acceleration and other functions of the vehicle.
Manipulation of a number of controls on a module requires a degree of skill and manual dexterity that younger children may not possess. Further, the more sophisticated the vehicle system the more expensive. Many parents are unwilling to entrust a younger child with a plaything that is relatively expensive and may be readily easily damaged.