Real-time scoring suggestions

[kapolavery]

So our electronics teacher/robotics coach is having our all of his students do a vex project and later compete the vex robots they make in an off-season competition among his students..

(I believe he's doing it so that he can find future recruits and keep the current robotics members enthusiastic and zealous and motivated about FIRST)

Even though Im in his class, I will be officiating the matches during the competition, which includes making sure game rules are followed and keeping score..

does anyone have a suggestion as how we can keep the scoring as real-time as possible with a software program application or a non-computer/electronic device method?

The game pieces are mainly wiffle balls, poofballs, playpen balls, and pencils that will be scored in respective game piece goals.

Thanks a bunch!

[Billfred]

Since you mentioned software, I'll tell you the tale of Mission Mayhem 2006.

Mike Walker had created a program to display the score in real-time and at the end of the match. He used a hacked-up keyboard with switches to do the job of feeding data from the RTS people into the computer. When a little sprinkle of rain turned Aim High into Aim, well, Kinda High, the combination of the altered game and our lack of desire to fuss any further with the notoriously finicky Hatch Technology-built field controller led us to use Mike's system along with a surge strip to cut power to all four OIs at the end of the match to disable the robots. Worked great.