Scouting for Ultimate Ascent

[jlmcmchl]

Team RUSH will be using a multi-part scouting system from the ground up. Last year, we created a similar system using iPads, which worked well. However, the main issue was that between matches, the Scouting Captain had to collect the iPads and download the data to a computer, which took almost as long as the time between matches for all 6 iPads. Another issue was that once competitions got to higher match numbers, copying over all of the data(we stored the backup data on the iPads) took even longer, slowing us down.

This year, we will be writing the Scouting App from scratch. In Xcode, I already have a working prototype for custom navigation, and will be implementing the rest of the user interface over today and tomorrow.

We will be emphasizing an efficient way to collect the information, whilst also having a comprehensive amount of information on each robot during the match. The Scouters will be using iPad Minis which we purchased recently for Scouting. We also have a central iPad Mini, to work as a sort of server. For reference, think of the Scrabble game made for iOS a few years back.

The Scouters will be sending their data to the central iPad Mini. This is where all the important calculations are done. When the Scouters send their data, I can send them back the next team they will be scouting. For each match, I will also create match predictions, and if Team RUSH is in that match, I will send the results down to our pits, where out drive team will use this to create a strategy with our alliance partners.

If you're wondering, I will be sending both apps to the App Store by the end of build season, along with a Readme for everything you need to know about the app.