Scouting Programs

[Suspect_Deezy]

Does anyone have any scouting programs that automatically scout robots for you.


we just got a new team laptop to replace the one that was stolen or "borrowed with no intention of returing" in Bayou

[EricH]

The vision systems of laptops are not up to the task...

Many teams use paper and pencil, with Excel. Others have developed systems and posted them on here in the Rules/Strategy forum, Scouting subforum.

[VinhNguyen]

Our team, 122, uses, or at least advocates the use of, palm pilots instead of laptops during scouting in competitions.

[AndyB]

We scouted on paper and had every match run through a laptop on the spot. If you have someone willing to enter data, its a great process.

You can power a laptop for a long time with a standard robot battery (great use for old non-FIRST-legal batteries). It involves a little bit of modification, but with a battery, inverter, cigarette adapter, and a battery connecter, its very possible. You can store everything easily in a backpack.

You could probably power a series of PDA's as well with this system.

[Sunbun]

We've always used clipboards and scouting "forms", but last year, we experimented with an Excel spreadsheet that could calculate a general aggregate score for each team. It factored in robot capabilities as well as team "skill".

For the most part, the scores were generally accurate, but can never be fully spot-on... there's ALWAYS going to be some sort of bias when handling numbers and ratings like that, whether on Excel or paper or otherwise.

If laptops don't work out, I know Team 1726 scouted with Nintendo DSes and Team 842 helped manufacture a game controller-shaped scouting program.

[yodameister]

I've seen 1726 DS system...its really easy to use and very nifty to use. 842 had indeed created an electronic scouting system. I believe that it can be bought as well. Ask any member from 842 for details.

[Cartwright]

Cyber Blue also has a fully-functional Excel scouting system that can be laptop or Pocket PC oriented. Our system is set up for easy customization for new games. The important thing is to make sure you focus on scouting parts of the game that matter and eliminate unimportant parts (ex. Ball "herding" from 2008 game). PM me for more info.

[AndyB]

Originally Posted by Sunbun

there's ALWAYS going to be some sort of bias when handling numbers and ratings like that, whether on Excel or paper or otherwise.

Thats why you dont have your scouters rate the robots. Just have them write down what they do. X number of hurdles, X number of laps, if they placed, if they knocked down.

Numbers don't lie. If a robot gets 6 hurdles, does "Robot Skill" matter?

[GGCO]

Isn't there a scouting app for the iPhone/iPod touch? I think that an app for those devices would be terrific!

[blaxbb]

Originally Posted by GGCO

Isn't there a scouting app for the iPhone/iPod touch? I think that an app for those devices would be terrific!

funny story about that...with the 2.0 update all apps were broken including the scouting app, which was written with a runtime which has also not yet been ported

short answer is that the scouting app won't ever be updated to support the 2.* firmwares

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by AndyB

Numbers don't lie. If a robot gets 6 hurdles, does "Robot Skill" matter?

Hehehe. There are 3 types of lies in this world ... Little white lies, Bold face lies, and statistics

Numbers do lie when they are interpreted (purposely or not) incorrectly. Understand what you are measuring, how you are weighing that data, and whether or not your data reflects reality.