Introduction. The Raverover is a remote-controlled hovercraft that was built as a ECE 476 final project. Originally a digital-only hovercraft (the motors only had one speed setting), our elite team of engineers removed all of the transmitter's and hovercraft's circuitry and replaced it with their own, state-of-the-art, MEGA 163 microcontroller-based circuitry to create an all new, analog-controlled hovercraft. The end result is a hovercraft that is more responsive and controllable than the original.
The remote-controlled hovercraft has three dc motors - one to provide the cushion of air to ride upon, and two to provide steering and propulsion. Steering is controlled by differential thrust. The following table summarizes the different possibilities:
| Left Motor | Right Motor | Result |
| Forward | Forward | Forward |
| Forward | Reverse | Right Spin |
| Forward | Off | Right Turn |
| Reverse | Forward | Left Spin |
| Reverse | Reverse | Decelerate |
| Off | Forward | Left Turn |
| Off | Off | Idle |
The two directional and propulsion motors have seven separate speed settings, ranging from 0 V to 14 V in each direction, as well as a setting of completely off. These 15 separate speeds per motor make handling of the hovercraft much more precise than the original version.
Objectives. Upon deciding on this project, our group came up with a list of specifications that we wanted our hovercraft to meet:
1. Have the new hovercraft have at least the performance of the original in terms of transmission range, speed, and maneuverability
2. Change the hovercraft to transmit and accept analog signals
3. Make the hovercraft failsafe in that if it moves out of reception range or receives invalid signals, it will shut off.
4. Have a convenient button on the remote control to turn on and off the hovercraft to save batteries.
5. Construct all our circuitry so that it will fit entirely within the original hovercraft and transmitter.