Model drawing of the robot boat Tesla created. Nikola Tesla is responsible for many advances and breakthroughs in radio, radar, energy fields, and AC power. In 1898, Tesla designed and then later created two radio controlled boats. They were mainly constructed of iron and Tesla designed an electric battery specifically to power these boats. It was controlled by a wireless transmitter( radio waves). Tesla demonstrated his boats to a crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York City at an Electrical Exhibition. His idea was to use the six foot long vessels for military uses. The vessels would fire torpedoes and missiles and be controlled by designated operatives. That way wars would be fought by machines and robots instead of people. Tesla offered his invention to the US Navy and when he was turned down, he then offered his inventions to Great Britain.

Nikola Tesla first designed a basic form of radio then constructed robot boats that were controlled by the waves. These waves were received through a coherer, and changed into mechanical movements. His inventions and explorations in robotics lead others to new discoveries and theories. He contributed to many modern day inventions.