How does your team scout?

[Josh Fritsch]

I think a lot of teams underestimate the importance of scouting. We have been using the following method for a few years and it has worked out very well.

We have 6 scouts in the stands at all times, one for each robot position of each match (RED 1, RED 2, RED 3, etc...), each with an easy to fill out, intutitive scouting sheet. Each student on the team is on scouting rotations throughout the day so they do not get bored. Data slowly becomes worse the longer you have students scout we have found.

We also have 1 scouting student leader, in the stands the entire day. This person takes the sheets that each of the scounts complete after each match and inputs all of the data into a single home made database. This eliminates the need for multiple computers/electrical/battery etc.

We are then able to have a print-out summary of each of our alliance partners/opponents prior to each match for strategy discussion. Also, this makes sorting through data on Friday night much easier.