How an Engineer’s Designs Helped Save His Daughter’s Life

When Lance Brown, director of technical solutions at CGI, was meticulously designing gears for small power transmissions used in robotics applications, he couldn’t have known the medical devices they were used in would one day save his daughter Vanessa’s life.

Machine Design first met Brown at MD&M West in 2024, where we learned about the serendipitous miraculous surgery that his daughter had recently survived after experiencing a pregnancy complication called placenta percreta. When I ran into Brown at this year’s event in Anaheim, he said he was ready to talk about it, so before the show opened on Feb. 6—and with his daughter’s blessing—we sat down together to do so.

The surgery marked a historical moment as it was completed entirely with robotics for the first time, which resulted in not only a successful procedure but a faster recovery. Precise engineering ensured that every gearbox and mechanism was designed with the utmost care. Given the context in which these devices are used, Brown emphasized a mantra that resonates deeply: “Someone you love may receive treatment from one of these devices.”