| Although predominantly considered a boy's toy, remote | | | | very nature, tend to be cars, lorries and trucks, which |
| controlled, or radio controlled toys are proving to be | | | | are not usually as appealing to girls. However, there |
| just as popular as ever, with sales rocketing, and the | | | | are some radio controlled and remote controlled toys |
| range widening ever more. The number of both radio | | | | for girls these days, usually ranging from pink limousines |
| and remote controlled vehicles is now bigger than ever, | | | | to pink off roaders. Essentially of course the |
| with both varieties of vehicle as popular as each other. | | | | mechanics of the vehicle is the same, but the cosmetic |
| The remote controlled vehicles tend to be much | | | | design will appeal more to girls than boys. |
| cheaper than the radio controlled ones, but because of | | | | These toys have a real appeal to children, who enjoy |
| this range in price, they are proving as popular as each | | | | the sense of control of another moving object, and |
| other. | | | | that they can control and reach items and places |
| In case you aren't sure quite what the difference is | | | | beyond their normal reach. They also enjoy the |
| between remote controlled and radio controlled | | | | challenge of being able to steer and manoeuvre the |
| vehicles, the simplest way of identifying which is which | | | | vehicles, which can often move quite quickly, and the |
| is to see if there is a cable connecting the controller to | | | | more expensive ones can manage cross country |
| the vehicle. If there is a wire which runs from the | | | | very well, able to roll easily over rough ground, shallow |
| handset to the vehicle, then it will be a remote | | | | steps, gaps and even small logs. |
| controlled vehicle, with signals being sent as electronic | | | | Of course, it mustn't be underestimated that it takes a |
| pulses down the cable. A radio controlled vehicle will | | | | good deal of spatial awareness to be able to |
| have no connection or cable at all, and the signals are | | | | effectively control on of these vehicles. It is easy to |
| being transmitted from the handset to the vehicle using | | | | forget that when a vehicle is moving away from you, |
| radio waves. | | | | left and right are easy to identify, but when the vehicle |
| For this reason, if more than one child has a radio | | | | is moving towards you they are reversed, and of |
| controlled vehicle, it can mean that the radio signals | | | | course if the vehicle is moving in any other direction, it |
| interfere with each other, and signals can become | | | | is necessary to perceive the movement from the point |
| jammed, confused or duplicated across several | | | | of view of the vehicle and decide what the relative |
| vehicles. Remote controlled vehicle have no such risk | | | | direction should be. This can lead to a few crashes in |
| of interference or compatibility issues. | | | | the early days, although vehicles are usually built to |
| The general reason why boys tend to like these toys | | | | withstand a few knocks. |
| more than girls is simply due to the fact they, by their | | | | |