[bripley]

For the last couple of years we have been scouting using customized Excel spreadsheets. They have a plethora of input boxes and selection menus to enter all kinds of information from matches. Usually we have two people scouting and at the end of each match, the data is combined onto one, master laptop. Our focus in scouting is both for picking partners in finals and for strategy in qualifying matches. We typically only scout a robots performance: how many points were scored, did autonomous work, did the robot get stuck or tip over, etc. We will scout all the matches on Friday and Saturday up until the final matches at which point the drivers and coach use all the data to decide who we want to be allied with. The scouting is quite effective, but a bit cumbersome because the data has to be manually transferred to the master laptop.

This year we are looking into using a server and database type setup, awfully similar to what has been posted so far. We have not decided if we should continue the Microsoft route and use Access (easy to make pretty forms) or go all out and snag a Linux box with Apache, Perl, MySQL and build everything from the ground up on a web interface. In the efforts of not duplicating work, I would like to get in on this project. One concern I've had all along, how can we put together a wireless network large enough to encompass the pits and the stands around the playing field? Several wireless routers linked as repeaters?

Cheers!
Brandon