remote control

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The control of an activity, process, or machine from a distance, as by radioed instructions or coded signals.
• noun A device used to control an apparatus or machine from a distance.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun A device used to operate an appliance (such as a television) or mechanical toy from a short distance away.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a device that can be used to control a machine or apparatus from a distance