Nick Speal
About Nick Speal
Nick Speal is a Software Engineer with extensive experience in drone technology and geographic information systems. He currently leads the Maps Pipelines team at Zipline, where he develops tools for flight planning and regulatory compliance.
Work at Zipline
Nick Speal has been employed at Zipline as a Software Engineer since 2018. In his current role, he leads the Maps Pipelines team, which is responsible for organizing geographic information essential for flight planning and ensuring regulatory compliance. His work involves developing and maintaining a full-stack web application that utilizes technologies such as Python, Flask, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, ReactJS, and CesiumJS. Additionally, he plays an active role in the hiring process for his team.
Previous Experience at 3D Robotics
Nick Speal worked at 3D Robotics in two capacities. From 2015 to 2016, he served as an Engineering Project Manager, where he oversaw projects related to drone technology. Prior to that, he was a Software Engineer at the same company from 2016 to 2017. During his tenure, he contributed to the development of tools designed to plan drone flight paths for delivering medical supplies to remote health facilities.
Education and Expertise
Nick Speal studied Mechanical Engineering at McGill University, where he earned a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) from 2009 to 2014. His academic background includes research roles at McGill University, where he focused on detonation and shockwave physics as well as unmanned aerial vehicles. He also gained project management experience through his involvement with McGill LunarEx Robotics and McGill Robotics.
Research and Project Management Experience
Nick Speal has a history of research and project management roles at McGill University. He worked as an Undergraduate Researcher in detonation and shockwave physics for four months in 2012 and later focused on unmanned aerial vehicles from 2013 to 2014. Additionally, he served as a Project Manager for McGill LunarEx Robotics from 2011 to 2013 and for McGill Robotics from 2013 to 2014, where he managed various robotics projects.
Technical Skills and Contributions
Nick Speal possesses technical expertise in software engineering and robotics. He has experience building robots for diverse environments, including lunar and underwater settings. His proficiency in full-stack web application development includes working with technologies such as Python, Flask, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, ReactJS, and CesiumJS, which he applies in his current role at Zipline.