The beginning of the year brought 3 new massive container cranes to the Port of Oakland, able accommodate the largest container ships this planet has to offer. Maybe even the Ever Was, if it’s ever released from the Suez Canal.
Droning the Pacific Pinball Museum Annex
This was a fun day! So many pinball machines and never enough quarters.
These thousands of pinball machines are constantly being worked on, catalogued, photographed & some will live at the PPM in downtown Alameda. In the not so distant future, the museum will reopen and you will be able to play them again. That day can’t come soon enough! pic.twitter.com/5GFSLDoC13
— Eddie Codel (@ekai) March 25, 2021
I should mention that the @PacificPinball Museum is a 501c3 non-profit that relies on donations to further their mission. If you're feeling generous, you can help by making a tax-deductible donation here. https://t.co/oygTalu5Qg
— Eddie Codel (@ekai) March 29, 2021
Let’s Play: D&D in US Prisons
I was asked by documentary filmmaker and producer Elisabeth de Kleer if I would be willing to help create a Kickstarter video for her upcoming documentary film on inmates who play Dungeon and Dragons in the American prison system. Being a bit of a D&D nerd myself, this was an easy call. The Let’s Play: Dungeons & Dragons Behind Bars project went live today.
Her documentary will tell the story of how inmates and ex-cons are using role playing games to survive inside prison and how these games are used as tools to prepare for life on the outside. In the US, where the notion of rehabilitation is a joke, role playing games offer a very real way for inmates to find focus, meaning and community in their lives which goes a long way to reducing recidivism. Breaking the cycle of reoffending is a goal that benefits everyone. If you feel the same, please consider backing this worthwhile project.
They Promised Us Jetpacks
Here’s your real life Tony Stark flying his jet suit around Hiller yesterday. Richard Browning of Gravity Industries, British inventor of the Daedalus Flight Pack, is as close to Iron Man as anyone has gotten. Just don’t ask how he scratches his nose.
The 3rd Annual FRiFF
The Flying Robot international Film Festival, the drone film festival I started 3 years ago, returns to the historic Roxie Theater in San Francisco on November 16th. This event is always a culmination of a ton of work and passion, and that includes all the submitting filmmakers. We’re looking at a sold out show and several participating filmmakers coming in from out of town. I’m super stoked to see the audience reaction to several of the films that made the cut. My long time friend and collaborator, Ryan Junell, outdid himself on the title animation sequence, which I’ll post after the festival. So much to love about this year!
Aerial Imagery Presentation at Dorkbot
I was invited to give a presentation on advanced aerial imagery techniques using drones at dorkbotSF on September 20, 2017. Here’s the recored presentation, thanks to dorkbot videographer James Young.
Eddie Codel, Advanced Aerial Imagery Techniques with Drones, Dorkbot-SF, 2017-09-20.
Aura Pet Collections
Aura is a beautifully designed connected picture frame. We created this promotional video for the introduction of Aura’s new pet collections feature.
3D Modeling and Photogrammetry with DroneDeploy
I’m enjoying capturing images of iconic architecture and creating 3D models using photogrammetry. This is a screencast video of a model I created of an old abandoned grain silo in San Francisco using a DJI Mavic Pro and DroneDeploy. DroneDeploy makes it easy to create missions to capture images, created 2D maps and 3D models using drones.
Drone Innovation Trends in 2017
I wrote a piece for iQ by Intel, Intel’s tech culture magazine: Drone Innovation Trends to Watch in 2017. I run down some predictions of what you’re likely to see in the world of flying robots this year.
Drone’s Eye View of Richmond, VA
I was back on the east coast for the holidays visiting family and friends. I brought the new DJI Mavic Pro with me (fantastic little drone btw, best one yet) while visiting Richmond, Virginia. The mighty James River runs through this historic city, a perfect place for capturing some aerials. This short aerial film was shot during the closing days of 2016 during an especially magical golden hour.
