Nick Speal

Nick Speal has a diverse and extensive work experience spanning various roles and responsibilities.

Nick started their career at McGill University where they worked as a Software Developer, focusing on User Interface development for the Structural Dynamics and Vibration Laboratory.

Nick then transitioned into the field of robotics, joining McGill LunarEx Robotics as a Project Manager. In this role, they led a multidisciplinary student team in designing and manufacturing an autonomous robot for the NASA Lunabotics Mining Competition.

Continuing their interest in robotics, Nick worked as an Undergraduate Researcher at McGill University, focusing on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Nick conducted experiments at the Aerospace Mechatronics Laboratory, studying the performance of UAVs with enhanced sensor suites and investigating co-axial propeller thrust at low altitudes. The findings were published in the proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

Nick then moved on to being a Project Manager at McGill Robotics, where they led a team of mechanical, electrical, and computer engineers in designing and manufacturing an autonomous underwater vehicle for an international competition. The team received accolades such as 1st place for Best Branding and Business Development and 3rd place for Static Design.

After that, Nick joined 3D Robotics as a Software Engineer. Nick played a key role in building a complex web application for construction site topography visualization and interaction using drone-collected data. Nick also took ownership of frontend development and maintenance and occasionally worked on backend and drone software projects.

Currently, Nick is a Software Engineer at Zipline. Nick is responsible for developing and maintaining a full-stack web application that enables flight path creation, validation, and visualization for delivering medical supplies using drones. Additionally, they lead the Maps Pipelines team, which organizes geographic information for flight planning, regulatory compliance, and impact analysis purposes.

Throughout their career, Nick has demonstrated strong technical skills, leadership abilities, and a passion for robotics and software development.

Nick Speal attended Bayview Glen from 2005 to 2009, where they completed their high school education. Following this, they pursued a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering at McGill University from 2009 to 2014.