Team OverDrive | Gems Modern Academy

Team OverDrive is a dedicated student-led engineering team based at GEMS Modern Academy in the United Arab Emirates. Our team brings together a diverse group of students passionate about robotics, autonomous systems, and high-performance vehicle design.

Despite being only our second year in operation, Team OverDrive has rapidly established itself as a formidable competitor. In our first year at the 4x4 In Schools National Finals, we achieved a remarkable 13th place ranking across the entire UAE, successfully competing against both University and High School level teams.

Moving forward into the 2026 season, we are focused on representing our school at the national stage, showcasing the power of student innovation and eco-friendly engineering solutions by clinching the 4x4 In Schools National Finals Winner Award.

Our current project focuses on developing a high-performance off-road vehicle platform from the ground up, specifically engineered to compete in the 4x4 in Schools National Finals. This competition is one of the premier engineering challenges for students in the UAE, demanding a balance of mechanical durability, electrical precision, and innovative design.

The competition challenges teams to design and manufacture a scale vehicle capable of navigating a complex, obstacle-heavy course that mimics real-world off-road conditions. For our 2026 mission, our vehicle is engineered to tackle extreme inclines and uneven terrain using a custom-built Arduino-based sensor array.

Beyond the core vehicle, Team OverDrive is dedicated to pushing technical boundaries through 3D-printed prototyping and sustainable engineering. Our goal is to demonstrate that high-performance RC engineering can be both technically sophisticated and environmentally conscious, reflecting the cutting-edge standards of modern automotive design.

Our Teams Mission:

Our mission is to push the boundaries of engineering in 4x4 in Schools, promote sustainable design, and inspire the next generation of innovators in STEM. At OverDrive, we believe true progress is driven not only by performance and precision, but by creativity, teamwork, and a commitment to building a smarter and more sustainable future.

We strive to achieve this by actively engaging with our school community and having an engaging social media platform that motivates younger students to take interest and explore in STEM. Our team identity draws inspiration from Formula-E, reflecting the balance between high performance and sustainability. This influence is evident in our Electronics by using Solar Panels to power a part of our Arduino Features, we have also utilized recycled materials for our vehicle such as up cycling the parts of our rear steering from our last years vehicle.

Why PCBWay Support is Vital for Team OverDrive:

To compete at a national level, we must eliminate the "point of failure" inherent in breadboards and jumper wires.

Vibration Resistance: Our vehicle faces extreme inclines and drops. Professional PCB fabrication ensures our circuits remain intact under high mechanical stress.

Miniaturization: Space is a priority in the 4x4 in Schools Competition. PCBWay’s SMT assembly allows us to shrink our control hub, lowering our Center of Gravity (CoG) for better climbing stability.

Rapid Iteration: Your fabrication speed allows us to test, fail, and improve our sensor arrays in real-time.

As a student-led engineering team, rapid prototyping aswell is essential for the development of our high-performance vehicle systems. Access to professional-grade PCB manufacturing would allow us to transition from breadboard concepts to race-ready hardware, ensuring our electronics can withstand the rigors of the 4x4 In Schools National Finals.

Supporting Team OverDrive would enable us to:

Iterate Hardware Rapidly: Test multiple versions of our custom control boards to find the most efficient layouts.

Increase Mechanical Reliability: Replace cluttered wiring with compact, vibration-resistant PCBs that fit within our tight 3D-printed chassis.

Technical Information

Our custom PCB should feature:

Automation: An integrated light-sensing circuit that triggers headlights at levels below 20 lumens.

Safety Telemetry: A tilt-sensor and buzzer system (the buzzer should turn on when the tilt is more than 25 degrees) that also transmits real-time data via Bluetooth to a remote monitoring app.

App: A programmable, remote-controlled or bluetooth app tow bar system for controlling operations of towbar and sending real time telemetry features of tilt.

We are requesting PCBWay’s support for:

PCB Designing and Fabrication: High-quality manufacturing and designing of our control board.

PCB Assembly: Professional SMT assembly for our miniaturized surface-mount components to ensure competition-grade durability.

Visibility and Partnership

In recognition of your support, the PCBWay logo will be prominently featured across our 2026 competition elements:

The Vehicle and Pit Display: High-visibility placement on our competition car and our integrated pit display (featuring our hologram fan and Pepper robot).

Official Team Branding: Inclusion on our team uniforms and our National Finals website.

Digital Outreach: Featuring your logo in our social media updates and technical "behind-the-scenes" reels.

Technical Documentation: Acknowledgment in our portfolios and verbal presentations delivered to the competition judges.

We would be honored to collaborate with PCBWay in the development of our vehicle's control systems and telemetry hardware. We are confident that this partnership is what will help us reach new technical milestones with our upcoming projects—pushing the limits of what a high student-led team can achieve.

Your support does more than provide hardware; it empowers the next generation engineers to bridge the gap between classroom theory and industrial reality. We look forward to the possibility of having "Powered by PCBWay" on our 2026 National Finals vehicle.

Team OverDrive Website:https://teamoverdrive.lovable.app/

Team OverDrive Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamoverdrive.ae/