McGill Aerial Design

McGill Aerial Design (MAD) is a 100+ member student engineering design team at McGill University, developing next-generation VTOL drones. Every year, we design, prototype, and test a fully custom autonomous aircraft integrating mechanical design, aerodynamics, power systems, embedded electronics, and flight control software. Our mission is to push the boundaries of student aerospace innovation and provide undergraduates with hands-on experience with real-world engineering challenges.

In 2026, we are expanding our impact by launching McGill AeroHacks, the university's first aerospace-themed hackathon. Over the course of a packed three-day period, students will attend workshops led by industry leaders and develop autonomous solutions using EPS32-powered microdrones, with a focus on computer vision and wireless communication.

Our VTOL drone utilizes a fully student-designed, modular electronics system comprising several custom PCBs. At the core of the system is our Power Distribution Board, which ensures safe and reliable management of power across all onboard components. It features reverse-polarity protection, overcurrent safety, and a redundant backup power circuit that maintains power to critical avionics in the event of a main battery drop or failure. The board is engineered to be efficient, compact, and robust, providing clean, stable power while protecting the drone's systems from electrical faults and irregularities.

AeroHacks is powered by our custom ESP32-based platform, which integrates a custom PCB for power and motor control, as well as an ESP32 microcontroller. Students will write flight logic, build mini-navigation systems, and solve air traffic management challenges using them.

As a student-run, nonprofit engineering team, manufacturing PCBs is one of our largest expenses. PCBWay's sponsorship would allow us to:

• Prototype faster
• Iterate more safely
• Provide hardware to more students
• Expand Aerohacks into a recurring annual event

PCBWay's support would directly empower hundreds of students at McGill. We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with PCBWay in advancing aerospace education.