Which scouting app is recommended?

[Addison4300]

I am looking for a good scouting app for our team to use at competitions. We need one for IOS. Which app do you recommend to use and why? I know there aren't too many for this specific game yet. However, I just want an idea from the ones that are out there so far.

Thanks,
Addison

[themccannman]

Originally Posted by Addison4300

I am looking for a good scouting app for our team to use at competitions. We need one for IOS. Which app do you recommend to use and why? I know there aren't too many for this specific game yet. However, I just want an idea from the ones that are out there so far.

Thanks,
Addison

If you want an app to actually scout for teams you should design your own. We have a couple white papers on how we made ours and I highly suggest that you invest some time in making one that fits your needs instead of looking for one made by another team. I don't have an iOS device so I have no idea what publicly available scouting apps there are, but I assure you that making your own is better. If you don't have the resources to make an app based scouting system I would suggest a self-made paper scouting system over someone else's app.

2014 system: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/3037

2013 system: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2867

[Addison4300]

Originally Posted by themccannman

If you want an app to actually scout for teams you should design your own. We have a couple white papers on how we made ours and I highly suggest that you invest some time in making one that fits your needs instead of looking for one made by another team. I don't have an iOS device so I have no idea what publicly available scouting apps there are, but I assure you that making your own is better. If you don't have the resources to make an app based scouting system I would suggest a self-made paper scouting system over someone else's app.

2014 system: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/3037

2013 system: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2867

As of now, our team doesn't have enough "extra hands" to make our own app in the time we have left. Also, to my knowledge nobody has experience in creating apps. At the very least, it would be nice to see what other teams do so we can get ideas.

I've found that the "pen and paper" app is both extremely versatile as well as 100% reliable.

[IronicDeadBird]

Always remember what works for other teams might not work for you. As a mentor I let students scout however they want but I always did my own scouting. The idea of scouting is that the information you gather should make you perform better on the field if you don't get that information that is useful you just sunk a lot of resources for nothing.
Although now that I think about it I haven't sunk any resources at all into this so it might be the task of the afternoon...

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by Andrew Lawrence

I've found that the "pen and paper" app is both extremely versatile as well as 100% reliable.

This.

Make a paper scouting sheet & fill them out at competition. Organize them in folders/a binder, or if you're feeling fancy create an Excel sheet where you can compile and sort through all that data. Pen & paper is far less likely to fail you.

I highly recommend the Simbot Seminar on Scouting & Match Strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8syuYnXfJg

[Addison4300]

Thank you all for the great feedback!

[artK]

Originally Posted by Addison4300

At the very least, it would be nice to see what other teams do so we can get ideas.

A lot of other teams don't develop apps at all. Many of them will have pencils, paper, and a few excel spreadsheets to run their scouting system. Heck, some teams will get really fancy and make a powerpoint with pictures and key stats and use those at the scouting meeting. The only maintenance they need to worry about would be the battery life on one or two computers, which a battery inverter and a couple old robot batteries can quickly solve.

[viggy96]

The best scouting method is to use a Google Spreadsheet. You can customise it to your needs, and you can share it between all of your scouting people. Its very powerful. I can send you a copy of mine if you want, so you have an idea.

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by viggy96

The best scouting method is to use a Google Spreadsheet. You can customise it to your needs, and you can share it between all of your scouting people. Its very powerful. I can send you a copy of mine if you want, so you have an idea.

Can Google Spreadsheet be accessed between tablets or laptops WITHOUT an internet connection???
Chances are that at a competition you won't have an internet connection UNLESS you use data.
That said, will a data connection (such as one associated typically with a phone - and not a laptop or tablet) work with this??

Looking for a practical, and LEGAL (under FIRST competition rules) way to do this.

[Skyehawk]

I have invested a fair bit of time into WildRank, while I agree that pen and paper is a great fallback/main method we needed something to get our scouts excided to enter (correct) data, and just not fool around. Therefore we are rocking a $400 scouting setup this year.