Cognex

Nine Years at the Machine Vision Leader

Cognex is the world's leading provider of machine vision systems. Over nine years, I moved across three roles — from managing new product introductions, to designing camera systems, to leading product and go-to-market for a new business unit.

Launching the 3D-A1000

I led product management and go-to-market for Cognex's entry into the logistics market — effectively an internal startup within a public company. The 3D-A1000 platform went from $0 to ~$10M in annual revenue within three years, with greater than 80% gross margin and one of the lowest tech support burdens in the company's portfolio.

I also conducted ongoing evaluation of AI and deep learning vision technologies for logistics applications, informing the product strategy that led to a next-generation product launch.

Opto-Mechanical Engineering

Before moving into product, I was the lead opto-mechanical engineer for the 3D-A1000 — designing the complete camera system including optics, illumination, and autofocus mechanisms. I contributed designs across multiple camera lines, lighting products, and lens systems. This deep technical fluency in industrial imaging became the foundation for later product strategy decisions.

NPI Engineering Management

In my first role at Cognex, I managed a team of 8–12 engineers supporting all new product introductions, coordinating resources and schedules across 10+ major hardware launches.

Patents

Named inventor on 4 U.S. patents:

• Passively athermal optical mounting for 3D cameras
• Method to despeckle lasers while increasing power limits
• Low-compute 3D stitching algorithm
• Composite 3D blob tool algorithm