Does your team use Laptops for Scouting?

[Dancin103]

Our teams scouts for the longest time have done everything by hand on paper. This year they wanted to give their hand in the laptop program for scouting. They picked it up for about fifteen minutes and said they did not like it and went right back to the good old paper and pencil method. I could understand them completely. That's what I would do.

[Kims Robot]

Originally Posted by Dancin103

Our teams scouts for the longest time have done everything by hand on paper. This year they wanted to give their hand in the laptop program for scouting. They picked it up for about fifteen minutes and said they did not like it and went right back to the good old paper and pencil method. I could understand them completely. That's what I would do.

Haha we feel exactly the opposite. The first year one of our mentors developed this beautiful labview frontend that fed into a database. Once we realized that we could so easily manipulate the data in a database we were hooked. It made pre-match strategy and alliance selection analysis soooo much simpler. Plus the students love computers, so it was an outlet that let them use computers. If we made them use an excel sheet or something I'm sure it wouldn't be the same.

We like 1676 use 6 laptops and a master (though our master is for data collection & analysis only - for getting data for our pre-match strategy sheets)

[kirtar]

What we had planned to do is have 6 laptops connected to a server. At Boilermaker, we somewhat cheated because we had access to Purdue Airlink, and therefore could go through the internet without technically breaking any rules (we did not establish any networks, but rather accessed an existing one). We did not get power there as power is not allowed on the bleachers (fortunately, three people on the team have laptops with identical batteries).

At Buckeye, we were able to run power which was taped down to prevent tripping. We ran a server and three laptops as well as a camera.

At the Championship, I am not planning on having power although it would certainly be welcome (often the outlets are hard to come by). In addition, because of the limited number of people that we are taking, the system we used in the previous competitions is not viable. What will likely happen is just text comments being entered onto a computer for sorting purposes (and battery switching or use of an inverter).

[Koko Ed]

My team is using a Wii with their laptops for scouting this year.
I heard the kids love it.

[dag0620]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

My team is using a Wii with their laptops for scouting this year.
I heard the kids love it.

Was that by any chance you guys at the CT Regional with the Wii Remotes in the stands? Every time I was walking by on my way to the pits I was always wondering what that was all about.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by dag0620

Was that by any chance you guys at the CT Regional with the Wii Remotes in the stands? Every time I was walking by on my way to the pits I was always wondering what that was all about.

That was us. We found it easier to keep ourselves interested and it allowed us to scout without looking down at a sheet of paper. We probably should have collected more data Friday, but we loved the system.

[dag0620]

You guys looked like you were having fun. If the scouting team doesnt mind, I may just have to work on a system like that, or one with the multiple laptops instead of our paper into 1 laptop method we have now.

If anyone can point me into some directions to get started, please do.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by dag0620

You guys looked like you were having fun. If the scouting team doesnt mind, I may just have to work on a system like that, or one with the multiple laptops instead of our paper into 1 laptop method we have now.

If anyone can point me into some directions to get started, please do.

Our very good friends on 842 developed the system and released it to the public. http://www.nventivity.com/scout2.htm

I would highly recommend purchasing an AM Inverter and using an old robot battery. This kept our laptop running all of Friday without breaks.

[SentientCitrus]

Until this year we've used paper sheets to record information, which was then manually entered into an Excel spreadsheet or (last year) an Access database - talk about cumbersome!

This year, we trialed a custom application and database developed by one of our mentors, aimed at the netbook screen resolution, with the notion being that, because of their lower power consumption, running 6-7 at once (I think the typical load for these was 10-12W each?) on a little sub-100W Enercell inverter and old robot batteries would get us through a day of scouting in the event that power was not available.

[E. Wood]

Team 1629 uses itouches to do our scouting if a wireless network is available. If no wifi is available we use a smart phone as a modem and enter the data on a notebook. We do however need to have an Internet connection as we use a goggle docs spreadsheet. For each event we create a form that scouts enter data on and submit electronically after each match. This form the populates the spreadsheet in real-time. We then use a second sheet to summarize the data. The best part about this system is that its gives the drive team real-time stats and information right after a match was played. It also viewable on any web enabled device which means our drives can get it on their iphones on the field. And its all free (thats the best part... goggle is awesome.)

[pfreivald]

When you've got Ben Pulver doing your scouting, you don't *need* laptops... Ben power is all the power you need!

(What oh what shall we do when he graduates in 2013?!?)

[MagiChau]

you get Ben Pulver to train a pupil thats what

Here we use paper & pen

Though i write notes everywhere on my scouting sheets xD

[rulesall2]

We use the scouting system developed by 842 in the stands. The Wii motes are preferred over paper by all of our scouts. Unfortunately, during the course of the WPI regional our laptop battery ran out quite a few times, however we just bought an inverter to prevent this.

I know that team 20 developed an iPhone/iTouch app to scout and the data is transfered to a master computer at some point using a standard USB iPod cord. That is by far the coolest system I have seen so far. I also know that 1726 writes a program for the Nintendo DS that is also very effective in collecting data.

I find the best method is a method your scouts find painless and is easily assembled based on your budget and willingness to develop a system for you. Personally 842's system is simple and reliable, so thanks to you guys. I am interested in knowing how to get data straight to the pits.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by rulesall2

I find the best method is a method your scouts find painless and is easily assembled based on your budget and willingness to develop a system for you. Personally 842's system is simple and reliable, so thanks to you guys. I am interested in knowing how to get data straight to the pits.

USB key and a runner! Why mess with success anyway?

1714's used paper in the stands during my time on the team for this very reason. Data entry gets tedious, but it gets done.

[rulesall2]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

USB key and a runner! Why mess with success anyway?

That's not what I meant, I was looking for more specifics into 1676's router to connect to the stands. Sorry for the confusion.


Edit: Post 47: Chief Delphi