How does your team do scouting?

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by MooreteP

The use of iPads, Wifi, NetBooks, Excel, etc........ is a ruse, IMHO.
Much more effort than is needed, with the flawed assumption that quantitative is better than qualitative analysis

We use laptops feeding a custom database instead of paper, but otherwise we likely use very similar methods. I disagree that our method has any more effort than yours; indeed I believe that we exert far less effort to collect our data.

The only paper we ultimately generate is what the student takes on the field when selecting our alliance

[smistthegreat]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

We use laptops feeding a custom database instead of paper, but otherwise we likely use very similar methods. I disagree that our method has any more effort than yours; indeed I believe that we exert far less effort to collect our data.

The only paper we ultimately generate is what the student takes on the field when selecting our alliance

Same here, the iPads we use actually streamline everything a ton. Before, someone had to manually enter 1 sheet of paper per robot per match into our scouting database, and even with quick typists it was a tedious and error prone job. Now, as soon as the match ends, data enters the database immediately, where it can be viewed right away by scouts, drivers, and anyone else who might need it.

[techhelpbb]

If you look in the Google Play (Android) store you'll find a MORT scouting app. MORT's programmers wrote it and released it. They did a great job.

What we don't release (and I've been joking should come with a 'modest' fee) is PC application that collects data from that app and aggregates it.

That's how our team scouted this year.

We did port this to iOS but unfortunately there's a missing aspect of BlueTooth for the iPhone and considering the number of SQL databases and compatibility issues they didn't have time to write that sort of thing.

[Alexa Stott]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

We use laptops feeding a custom database instead of paper, but otherwise we likely use very similar methods. I disagree that our method has any more effort than yours; indeed I believe that we exert far less effort to collect our data.

The only paper we ultimately generate is what the student takes on the field when selecting our alliance

This is very similar to what we do.

In the past, we have used custom-written programs to enter code. This year, we are simply using excel and a python script (written by Kristian Calhoun, who you may have seen around here on CD). We don't do anything really whacky with the data, it just helps us compile all the numbers into a format that's more easily readable. We don't have any sort of complex equations that tell us who the #1 robot is. It simply provides us with an easier way of pulling up a robot's overall stats for the event. We can view results by match or by team.

For example, if I wanted to see what 1676 did at Mt. Olive, I could get all that information in a few keystrokes. I could tell you how many balls they score in auto and teleop and if they balance on the bridges, etc. There are usually also people like me and Kristian who simply sit in the stands and watch matches and make observations. We take note on who we think is really standing out and use that to aid our decisions as well. We don't just use the numbers. We might notice that a really good robot did poorly in one match. In that case, we find the scout who was watching them and ask what happened so we know whether it's a serious problem (i.e. they made changes to their robot or code that affected their performance) or if it was just an off match for them (maybe they had connectivity issues or something).

We have done paper scouting and it's a bit, well, clumsy given the type of technology we have available to us now. Combine this with your observations and you can usually end up with pretty good results.

As for compiling a pick list, we make a list numbered 1-23 on Saturday/Friday night (Saturday for districts, Friday for other events). Usually the top 3-4 spots are easy picks. The rest is where we need to do a lot more legwork. This involves using our collected data, our observations, as well as match video. It's also good to have pictures of robots to jog your memory.

[dellagd]

Originally Posted by Alexa Stott

This is very similar to what we do.

In the past, we have used custom-written programs to enter code. This year, we are simply using excel and a python script (written by Kristian Calhoun, who you may have seen around here on CD). We don't do anything really whacky with the data, it just helps us compile all the numbers into a format that's more easily readable. We don't have any sort of complex equations that tell us who the #1 robot is. It simply provides us with an easier way of pulling up a robot's overall stats for the event. We can view results by match or by team.

For example, if I wanted to see what 1676 did at Mt. Olive, I could get all that information in a few keystrokes. I could tell you how many balls they score in auto and teleop and if they balance on the bridges, etc. There are usually also people like me and Kristian who simply sit in the stands and watch matches and make observations. We take note on who we think is really standing out and use that to aid our decisions as well. We don't just use the numbers. We might notice that a really good robot did poorly in one match. In that case, we find the scout who was watching them and ask what happened so we know whether it's a serious problem (i.e. they made changes to their robot or code that affected their performance) or if it was just an off match for them (maybe they had connectivity issues or something).

We have done paper scouting and it's a bit, well, clumsy given the type of technology we have available to us now. Combine this with your observations and you can usually end up with pretty good results.

As for compiling a pick list, we make a list numbered 1-23 on Saturday/Friday night (Saturday for districts, Friday for other events). Usually the top 3-4 spots are easy picks. The rest is where we need to do a lot more legwork. This involves using our collected data, our observations, as well as match video. It's also good to have pictures of robots to jog your memory.

Sounds cool. We are having much the same thing. I'll try to "walk past you guys to my seat" at the MAR champs.

[Kristian Calhoun]

Originally Posted by dellagd

Sounds cool. We are having much the same thing. I'll try to "walk past you guys to my seat" at the MAR champs.

Please do! Our head scout, Sue, and I would love to talk you about our scouting process and how it has evolved over the past couple of years.

[zach1194]

Team 1243 uses Team S.P.A.M.'s scouting data base. It works great and became a valuable asset during alliance selection and elimination.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=102181

[aldowyn]

This year at OKC we went for a really organized method. Ignoring Thursday quantitatively, we went the pen & paper route (not enough laptops to go that way) and had 6 people, one for each team, recording points in each basket and in autonomous, attempted shots, balancing info, and extra notes for the qualitative aspect. After each match it was put into the master spreadsheet, which even had an algorithm to calculate our own personal ranking.

It showed us as 4th while our actual rank was 12th... so it valued scoring over bridge, especially the CP. 178 TP isn't anything to laugh at, but the 58 or so HP really hurt us.

[Steve-Man]

This year we handled scouting a little differently than we usually do. make some sort of sheet to fill out, print out a bunch of copies, get 6 clipboards, etc. Typical pen and paper stuff, but this year Team 1493 collaborated with Team 20 in a joint scouting venture. We had a rotation schedule, 3 people from 1493 and 3 people from 20 would scout ten matches, then 3 different people from both teams would switch in for the next ten matches. Otherwise, standard stuff as mentioned before, but...

Having two different teams scouting together seemed to help us catch things we'd normally miss. (More discussion of the match perhaps?) While the rotation basically kept us fresh and ready to scout. Not to say that Rebound Rumble isn't fun to watch, but watching one robot specifically on the field and trying to count how many seconds it took to balance on the bridge, or how many hybrid shots it took...a break really made all the difference. the sheet was pretty comprehensive and had room for other information it didn't cover.

[Mongai]

Wow, am I the only one who set up a MySQL server?

I got Debian on a flash drive and installed a MySQL server on it and used Microsoft Access as the front end. Each laptop had the same link information and they also had a query so they could see statistics for each team live as the day went on.

EDIT: Why not Excel? It makes me cringe because statistics is more of a pain than Access queries.

[dellagd]

well, VikingScout has really evolved in the last few days.

If you were at MAR champs, we were on the first level in one of the handicap accessible platforms that you go by right as you enter the stands (first level).

6 netbooks
1 server laptop
printer
100 feet of ethernet
8-port switch

complex to set up, but Oh so easy to scout with.

Working great!

[junefish]

Originally Posted by Mongai

Wow, am I the only one who set up a MySQL server?

I know our scouting programmer set up an SQL database for automatic data compilation, but I'm not sure how it worked--I was on the collection end of the scouting data, not the programming end.