Multiteam Scouting

[Adam Richards]

(I'm not sure if this is in the right forum or not, so move it if I'm wrong)

Alright, I have a poll for y'all here. If there was a web based scouting app at your regional on an open wifi network, would you use it, and if so, would you prefer that matches are reported by one person only or that one person reports one team's score each match?

Your responses will determine how I actually finish programming the app. If you'd like to beta test the scouting app, send me a PM, and I'll contact everyone who wants to test it out when it's completed (should be around July 4th assuming I get enough responses). Thanks!

[edit: I just notice it said reports in the poll, yet I can't edit it]

[EricH]

From what you say, I'd go with several people reporting the score. But really, one person cannot, repeat cannot, scout all the teams. I found that keeping track of two was hard enough. The other thing is, that the match score is not an indicator of how well one team does, it's all the teams. I presume, however, that by score you mean what each team does and how well they do it. I hope you get it working.

[Ryan M.]

Of course, the advantage of a massive scounting thing like this is that it could really be a full time job for them. (well, at the regional )

What sort of information were you planning on storing? Just scores? If you can, I'd try to make it a flexible way of keeping track of which robots scored how much. (and maybe even how they scored?)

[tckma]

Well, there ought to be robot attributes in the scouting as well, because we all know that score does not make a team.

I think you should allow a member of each team to input stats on their robot (things like 2 vs 4 wheel drive, arm type, speed, etc) as well as allowing one person to input each team's per-match score and what the alliances were for that match.

[Adam Richards]

Originally Posted by Ryan M.

Of course, the advantage of a massive scounting thing like this is that it could really be a full time job for them. (well, at the regional )

What sort of information were you planning on storing? Just scores? If you can, I'd try to make it a flexible way of keeping track of which robots scored how much. (and maybe even how they scored?)

Basically, what I'm trying to do is take the best parts from various team's scouting sheets (match and pit scouting), and put it all into a php backend to compute loads of data. The eventual completion of this is a global scouting date to which any teams can post data to. Each person who connects to the server will be able to log in using their own team #, which are defined during the script install (yes, there is a nice interface so people don't have to install the script variables manually). Every piece of data that they send to the server has their team # recorded, so if anything against the spirit of GP were to be posted, the mentors of that team will be notified of the issue.

Originally Posted by tckma

Well, there ought to be robot attributes in the scouting as well, because we all know that score does not make a team.

I think you should allow a member of each team to input stats on their robot (things like 2 vs 4 wheel drive, arm type, speed, etc) as well as allowing one person to input each team's per-match score and what the alliances were for that match.

That's planned in the features, and I'll release more details probably tomorrow or the day after around 5pm-ish EST (I've got a fundraser to do first).

[Swampdude]

I commented on this in another thread a few months ago. I think a unified scouting system would be a huge benefit to everyone in todays wireless age. It seems like a fairly easy thing to do as well. I give big props to whoever pulls this off first and gets everyone using it. I would think such a system (if effective) would eventually become something more "FIRST" official. It just makes sense and it's only a matter of time.
Many folks have tried, but the usefulness of the info is whats in question. How do you meet the masses needs? How do you make it user friendly? Then how do convince everyone it's the way to go, instead of the "other ones" that will pop up.
I kinda wish FIRST would sanction something like this. So everyones energy went into 1 system.

[Adam Richards]

Originally Posted by Swampdude

I commented on this in another thread a few months ago. I think a unified scouting system would be a huge benefit to everyone in todays wireless age. It seems like a fairly easy thing to do as well. I give big props to whoever pulls this off first and gets everyone using it. I would think such a system (if effective) would eventually become something more "FIRST" official. It just makes sense and it's only a matter of time.
Many folks have tried, but the usefulness of the info is whats in question. How do you meet the masses needs? How do you make it user friendly? Then how do convince everyone it's the way to go, instead of the "other ones" that will pop up.
I kinda wish FIRST would sanction something like this. So everyones energy went into 1 system.

Hehe, I'm actually going to (attempt) to test this out at Mayhem to see how it goes over... assuming I can get Arefin's approval.

[dmurdz]

Scouting is so valuable at the regionals and the Championship.

We designed a system of scouting that focused on several important characteristics, but we only had 2 scouts and they found it hard tracking 3 robots a piece. It is important to note which characterics are objective and subjective, which are opinion based and such.

I think that the system would be great for scouting!

[Krista A.]

If the system allowed for opinions to go in, and notes on the matches (ex: Team XYZ consistently stayed at the far end of the field, penning the opponents in), that would be great. I've been my teams main scout for the past two years (only scout two years ago), and there's really only so much raw scores can tell you.

[Ryan M.]

Originally Posted by Adam Richards

...Every piece of data that they send to the server has their team # recorded, so if anything against the spirit of GP were to be posted, the mentors of that team will be notified of the issue.

Maybe you should also have a password. Even if they're all the same, at least it would stop some 12 year old kid a house nearby from screwing us up.

[nobrakes8]

probably..

i know my old team usually puts a big emphsis on other team's that do our weaknesses well... So teams like that would probably get more points overall by my old team just to give them a boost on the list so the drive team and advisors all agree on the pick.

It was hectic in Atlanta with our scouting getting a late start, it would have been helpful in that instance to look at how other people from different teams were scouting. (we had a deal with team 1592 but couldnt find them when we needed them)

It would also be helpful to see what other people like about your team and it gives a good idea what they think your weaknesses are and maybe can be fixed in the pits with a creative idea. I know there were times in hartford we took some chances we didnt need to take because we were afraid of not being picked, had we have seen what other teams thought about us, we would have taken an easy on our robot because we were scouted so well (we ended up breaking and fixing the robot several times in the semifinals and finals)

The bad feature could be, instead of being that great #2 pick for the 2nd seed like we were, me might have been the first pick for a 6-8 seed which really wouldnt have a chance to win, although maybe it would force the top seeds a weaker alliance and a more compeitive elimination rounds.

SO MANY THEORIES

[Stefan]

If you need help or wanna see how our php / MySQL system works just ask....

[Timothy D. Ginn]

Adam,

The whole Multiteam Scouting thing sounds very similar to the FIRST Scouting Network (or FSN).

I would suggest getting in touch with the people who worked on that (I'm one of them) to learn from previous mistakes, successes, etc. I know that Jack was somewhat successful in getting things donated to the project.

The Chief Delphi forum for FSN is:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=83

(but I doubt many people regularly check it any more, so look up people who posted there since the beginning and contact them directly)

It may even be possible for you (and whoever you're working with, if anyone) to take over that project; which would be a lot better than having it die out (which is what seems to have happened).

P.S. rm -rf / is a very bad thing as root (no, *I* didn't do it); but that happened to one of the FSN servers.