BAbout this program
57 stars on GitHub.
The mjbots Hoverbot is a compact wheeled robot built around surplus hoverboard hub motors, designed for outdoor and semi-rugged terrain navigation. Developed by Josh Pieper of mjbots, it demonstrates how powerful consumer-grade hub motors combined with custom motor control electronics can produce a capable autonomous platform.
Source: https://github.com/mjbots/hoverbot
The robot uses two hoverboard hub motors driven by mjbots moteus-c1 brushless motor controllers — high-performance FOC controllers with integrated CAN-FD communication. An mjbots pi3hat provides IMU (gyro + accelerometer) fusion and CAN-FD bus aggregation. A Raspberry Pi 4 runs the control software, connected to the motor controllers over CAN-FD for real-time torque and velocity commands.
Power comes from a cordless drill battery mounted in a custom 3D-printed battery housing with proper mechanical retention rails. The 18V battery drives the 36V-rated hoverboard motors at a reduced voltage, limiting top speed to ~2 m/s — faster than walking pace but mechanically safe. The robot can operate for hours on a single charge and handles varied terrain including grass, gravel, and uneven pavement.
The entire chassis is 3D-printable in PETG, with M3 and M2.5 heat-set inserts providing structural joints. An optional GoPro mount allows first-person video capture. The design is fully open-source with all STL files, source code, and configuration published under Apache 2.0.
Hardware includes: Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB), 2× mjbots moteus-c1 motor controllers, mjbots pi3hat (IMU + CAN-FD), mjbots power_dist module, 2× surplus hoverboard hub motors, 18V cordless drill battery, 3D-printed PETG chassis.
🖨 Print Files (20)
hoverbot_base_cover.stl
gopro_mount.stl
hoverbot_battery_rail1.stl
hoverbot_base.stl
hoverbot_battery_rail2.stl
hoverbot_battery_cover.stl
Required Hardware
| Item | Qty | Unit Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| moteus-c1 brushless motor controller | 2 | $79 | mjbots.com (specialty, no Amazon) |
| pi3hat (Pi HAT for moteus + IMU) | 1 | $129 | mjbots.com |
| power_dist board | 1 | $59 | mjbots.com |
| Raspberry Pi 4, 2GB | 1 | $45 | raspberrypi.com |
| 64GB Micro SD Card | 1 | $10 | Amazon |
| 30cm PH3 cable | 3 | $5 | mjbots.com |
| XT30 male connector | 3 | $1 | Amazon / mjbots |
| XT30 female connector | 3 | $1 | Amazon / mjbots |
| 18 AWG silicone wire | 1 | $15 | Amazon (10ft red+black) |
| MR30 connector pairs | 2 | $4 | Amazon |
| GH7 housing | 2 | $1 | mjbots.com |
| GH pre-crimped wires | 10 | $0.50 | mjbots.com |
| XT90S anti-spark connector | 1 | $5 | Amazon |
| 16 AWG silicone wire | 1 | $15 | Amazon |
| M3x4 bolt | 2 | $0.20 | McMaster-Carr (inferred Amazon alt) |
| Battery terminal (Keystone 1289) | 2 | $2 | DigiKey |
| M3 heat-set insert | 28 | $0.20 | McMaster / Amazon |
| M2.5 heat-set insert | 8 | $0.20 | McMaster / Amazon |