Brandon Gilles Obituary, and Death Cause:- Brandon Gilles, the co-founder and CEO of Luxonis, a company that specializes in spatial AI and computer vision technology, passed away on August 3, 2023, at the age of 37. He had been suffering from Long-COVID, a condition that causes persistent symptoms after a COVID-19 infection, for more than three years. His wife, Briana Gilles, confirmed the news of his death on social media, saying that he had worked harder than anyone to try and save his own life.
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Who was Brandon Gilles?
Brandon Gilles was an electrical engineer who had a passion for robotics and artificial intelligence. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science. He worked as a software engineer at Ubiquiti Networks, where he led the development of UniFi, a platform for managing network devices. He also contributed to UISP, a software for wireless internet service providers.
In 2019, he co-founded Luxonis with Vlad Vyskocil and Shawn McLaughlin. Luxonis is a spatial AI and computer vision platform that focuses on embedded machine learning and depth vision technology. The company’s flagship product is OAK (OpenCV AI Kit), a series of cameras that can run neural networks directly on a chip and sense the 3D world around them. OAK cameras are used for various applications such as robotics, security, agriculture, healthcare, and education.
Gilles was also an avid blogger and researcher who shared his insights and experiments on spatial AI and computer vision on his website and YouTube channel. He was interested in topics such as object detection, semantic segmentation, recognition, landmark detection, motion estimation, and video encoding. He also documented his journey of recovering from Long-COVID, a condition that causes persistent symptoms after a COVID-19 infection.
How did Brandon Gilles die?
According to his wife, Brandon Gilles contracted COVID-19 in March 2020 and developed Long-COVID symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, muscle pain, and shortness of breath. He sought various treatments and therapies to improve his condition, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, intravenous vitamin C, acupuncture, meditation, and diet changes. He also participated in a clinical trial for an experimental drug called Ampligen.
Despite his efforts, Gilles’ condition worsened over time and he suffered from multiple organ failures. He was admitted to the hospital on July 31, 2023, where he passed away peacefully on August 3, 2023.
Brandon’s Early Life and Career
Brandon Gilles was born on June 15, 1986, in Denver, Colorado. He grew up with a love for science and technology. He attended Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado, where he excelled in math and physics. He also participated in robotics competitions and won several awards.
He enrolled at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2004 and majored in electrical engineering and computer science. He graduated with honors in 2008 and joined Ubiquiti Networks as a software engineer. He worked there for more than 10 years and rose to the position of senior software engineer. He was responsible for creating UniFi, a platform for managing network devices such as routers, switches, access points, cameras, and phones. He also worked on UISP, a software for wireless internet service providers that allows them to monitor and control their networks remotely.
In 2019, he left Ubiquiti Networks to pursue his dream of creating his own company. He teamed up with Vlad Vyskocil and Shawn McLaughlin to form Luxonis, a spatial AI and computer vision company that aims to democratize access to advanced technology. They launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise funds for their first product: OAK (OpenCV AI Kit), a camera that can run neural networks directly on a chip and sense the 3D world around it.
The campaign was a huge success: they raised more than $1 million from over 6 thousand backers in less than two months. They shipped their first batch of OAK cameras in December 2020 and received positive feedback from their customers. They continued to improve their product and released new versions such as OAK-D (with depth sensing) and OAK-1 (with global shutter). They also expanded their team and partnered with other companies such as OpenCV (the largest computer vision library in the world) and Intel (the leading chip manufacturer).
Gilles was the visionary leader of Luxonis who guided the company’s direction and strategy. He was also the chief architect of the OAK platform who designed its hardware and software components. He was passionate about making spatial AI and computer vision accessible and affordable to everyone. He believed that these technologies could solve many problems and improve lives in various domains such as robotics, security, agriculture, healthcare, and education.
He was also a prolific writer and speaker who shared his knowledge and experience on his website and YouTube channel. He wrote about topics such as object detection, semantic segmentation, recognition, landmark detection, motion estimation, and video encoding. He also demonstrated his projects and experiments using OAK cameras and other devices. He had more than 10 thousand subscribers on YouTube and more than 20 thousand followers on Twitter.
He was also a courageous fighter who battled Long-COVID for more than three years. He contracted COVID-19 in March 2020 and experienced severe symptoms such as fever, cough, headache, and loss of taste and smell. He recovered from the acute phase of the infection but developed Long-COVID symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, muscle pain, and shortness of breath. He documented his condition and his attempts to treat it on his website and YouTube channel. He tried various treatments and therapies such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, intravenous vitamin C, acupuncture, meditation, and diet changes. He also participated in a clinical trial for an experimental drug called Ampligen.
He was hopeful that he would overcome Long-COVID and resume his normal life. He was optimistic that he would continue to lead Luxonis and create more innovative products. He was grateful for the support of his family, friends, colleagues, customers, and fans. He was determined to make a positive impact on the world with his work and passion.
Brandon Gilles’s Wife, Family and Friends
Brandon Gilles is survived by his wife, Briana Gilles, and their two children: a son who is 6 years old and a daughter who is 4 years old. He also leaves behind his parents, two brothers, a sister, and many other relatives and friends.
His wife, Briana Gilles, is a registered nurse who works at Boulder Community Health. She met Brandon at the University of Colorado Boulder where they both studied. They got married in 2013 and moved to Boulder, Colorado. They had two children who were the joy of their lives. They enjoyed spending time together as a family doing activities such as skateboarding, playing soccer, reading books, snuggling, blowing bubbles, riding bikes, wrestling, and walking on the beach.
She described Brandon as her best friend, soulmate, partner in crime, and love of her life. She said that he was an amazing husband who always supported her dreams and goals. She said that he was an incredible father who adored their children and taught them many things. She said that he was a brilliant engineer who created amazing products that changed the world. She said that he was a brave warrior who fought Long-COVID with all his strength.
She said that she was proud of him for everything he accomplished in his life. She said that she was heartbroken by his death but thankful for the memories they shared. She said that she would miss him beyond words but carry him in her heart forever.
His co-founders, Vlad Vyskocil and Shawn McLaughlin, also expressed their grief and condolences on social media. They said that Brandon was their friend, mentor, leader, and inspiration. They said that he was the driving force behind Luxonis who made their vision a reality. They said that he was a genius who had a deep understanding of spatial AI and computer vision. They said that he was a visionary who had a clear picture of the future of technology.
They said that they were honored to work with him and learn from him. They said that they were devastated by his loss but motivated by his legacy. They said that they would continue to pursue his dream of making spatial AI and computer vision accessible to everyone.
What is Long-COVID?
Long-COVID is a term used to describe the condition of people who experience persistent or recurring symptoms after recovering from COVID-19 infection. The symptoms can last for months or even years after the initial infection. The symptoms can vary from person to person but may include:
- Brain fog: difficulty concentrating or remembering things
- Fatigue: feeling tired or exhausted
- Muscle pain: soreness or stiffness in muscles or joints
- Shortness of breath: difficulty breathing or feeling out of breath
- Chest pain: discomfort or tightness in the chest