"Best" Pit Scouting Questions

[brandon.cottrell]

One of our scouts asked a team: "On a scale of 1-5 how is your driving capability?"

Their answer was 10.

Stay classy 987.

[DampRobot]

Originally Posted by Whippet

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how good do your bumpers look?"

The quality of a teams robot is often much more closely correlated to the quality of their bumpers than most people would guess. While asking a team this wouldn't do much good, this is actually not such a bad stat to have.

We often give our drivetrain speed in knots to pit scouts.

[Canon reeves]

Scout: is there anything else you would like to add?
Me: yes, they have an extremely attractive driver
Scout: surprised then laughs
Me: no seriously, write that down

[cadandcookies]

Originally Posted by DampRobot

The quality of a teams robot is often much more closely correlated to the quality of their bumpers than most people would guess. While asking a team this wouldn't do much good, this is actually not such a bad stat to have.

We often give our drivetrain speed in knots to pit scouts.

Come by out pits and you'll get it in a variety of colorful units-- fractions of a space shuttle's top speed (1/2000), the speed that a stalk of bamboo grows by (329,184), or if we're feeling nice, miles per hour (~10mph).

[rkbot]

Questions i have seen this year are
the classic "What team number are you?" fools look at the sign
This year "Can your robot pick up?" Nooo... That big box with the wheels on top is just there to look good you dummy, get you stuff right or just ask to look at the robot to make your own observations before asking stupid questions.
I get the what team number one atleasy twice every regional and i avoid answering questions because i am usually in the back of the pit working on the robot.

[Rynocorn]

I always try to make my teammates answer questions instead of me so if they ever ask me something that they don't know I just always say 7. Sometimes I pause and pretend to think or just instantly say it, but it's always 7. The best is when someone asks about the drive motors, dimensions, or height - it really throws them for a loop

[xXhunter47Xx]

Originally Posted by rkbot

Questions i have seen this year are
the classic "What team number are you?" fools look at the sign
This year "Can your robot pick up?" Nooo... That big box with the wheels on top is just there to look good you dummy, get you stuff right or just ask to look at the robot to make your own observations before asking stupid questions.
I get the what team number one atleasy twice every regional and i avoid answering questions because i am usually in the back of the pit working on the robot.

That doesn't sound very GP. there were many instances where I've told scouts about the intake and they still ask if we can load.
Sometimes they forget, or it's just a habit they got into. You'll have to deal with stupid questions in the "real" world as well, not just at FRC, so you might as well get used to being polite about it.
I remember the most ridiculous one was "how good looking was your robot?"
I wanted to reply "devilishly handsome like me" but the drivers were there and us being friends, I'd know they'd probably say "don't insult the robot like that, it's not that ugly".

[Sparky3D]

Originally Posted by mrnoble

"What's the most points your robot can possibly score?"

I've always loved to see how my students answer that one.

I got asked that one on Thursday during our regional (week 1). We hadn't even had our first practice match yet. I told them 1200 . They looked confused and walked away. Honestly, how are you supposed to answer a question like, especially when matches haven't even started ? Which reminds me, I should really look over our pit scouting sheet and make sure we don't have anything like that on there.

[PAR_WIG1350]

This isn't really a scouting question, but at the 2010 championship, while serving as safety captain, another safety captain was interrogating teams (it was supposed to 'promote' safety) and I was asked if our team kept an AED (automated external defibrillator) with our first aid kit.

[atucker4072]

We've gotten asked every year how many wheels are on your drive train. They are also looking right at it when they ask this. I can't wait to see the questions we get asked this year due to the game.

If you are looking for serious ones definitely the robots speed(s) is a good one to ask. You can ask the consistency of the shots they make but most everyone will say something higher because yeah they think they are that good. It could help if you asked how many events the drive team has been in and it could give you an idea of their drive team could possibly do.

[safiq10]

Not really FRC but In FTC I was asked in FTC does our robot hang? But someone said lift instead of hang. I did get a few laughs!
Them: Does your it lift?
Me: Ya 125 lbs! (begins flexing) Ohh and the robot also lifts.

[minidave910]

Personally I believe any question that isn't of strategic importance falls into this category. I have never once stopped while making a pick list, consulted the data, and said "No, we can't pick them. They only have six wheels in their drive train."

[Jmulderig]

How about "answers" to pit scouting questions...Im sure we all have that member or two that we dread beign asked anything about the robot.

q:"Is your robot mainly offense or defense"?
A: Defense (our robot was a climber_Thats all it did climb to the top)

[dipmeinaluminum]

Can your robot hang on the Truss for 30pts?

[Conor Ryan]

Question: What language do you use? (In reference to programming)
Answer: English.