Real Life Data (RLD) is a platform for creating entire data systems from data ingestion, to storage, analysis, and visualization creation and hosting. This makes it perfect for Scouting! We recently finished doing an alpha test on our product with a few FRC teams including 2468, and if you haven’t gotten a chance to read about their scouting system in 2023 check out their post about it here: Team Appreciate’s Best Scouting System Yet
Our alpha test was overwhelmingly positive and we are looking to continue testing into the 2024 FRC season and off season. We are starting a limited, closed beta in a couple months and are looking for FRC teams to join us in making RLD the best scouting platform available. The teams we partner with for this closed beta will receive use of the RLD platform for free.
We will continue to post more updates in the future such as demos, pictures, and videos of the product. We will also be posting updates about the beta, development, and RLD’s open beta and eventual full release.
Real Life Data is offered as a Web-based Software-as-a-Service and includes a ton of features made specifically for FRC teams.
About me:
I am Jacob Rothfus, CEO of RLD, a mentor for teams 2468, 2687, and 2689, and a FIRST Alumni. I did FIRST robotics for 7 years and I’m really excited to get a chance to work with you and your teams!
Thanks for the questions XaulZan!
For a typical team, with 6 students scouting every match, and a pit scouting form with a few students filling it out pre-matches, we expect that the Team pricing would suffice.
As for offline capability, currently the forms/input app save data when it cannot connect to the internet and will upload all saved data when you get in range of cell service or wifi. We intend to work with our closed beta users to find even better ways to serve those without cell service or wifi potentially including what you had mentioned above: Bluetooth and/or QR codes.
I would love to see some way to pull/export files in offline mode (and just more generally). Ideally just going into the tablet file system and pulling the file (I.e. touchscreen is broken but tablet still works as a USB device). If this involves uploading files to a website to combine databases that’s fine.
Why?
Tablets break in the stands, a lot of us are using cheap android devices for scouting. I want, no I NEED, to be able to pull data from a down tablet that is functioning in offline mode. It is fine if I have to combine it all together via file upload to an online tool. I can all but guarantee I am not the only one with this occasional issue.
And before anyone say anything about this being a cheap android tablet problem, protect them all you want, devices break, stands are not the most hospitable environment with people moving around. I want to be able to pull out the backup tablet, adjust 2 or 3 settings and it is up and running in short order.
For the record (not that anyone asked) QR codes are tedious, limited, and labor intensive. Bluetooth has a reputation for always just working no matter what Just give me an option for a manual sync with a USB drive every 10 matches or so .
Sure, but when someone steps on a tablet or if it slips between the cracks in temporary stands you are still out a tablet. It is just a sandwich of plastic, glass and metal. It can only take so much punishment. Sh*t happens.
Hardening you system is only part of the equation, there is no substitute for redundancy.
Hey Sky,
I appreciate your reply and this is a serious priority of ours at RLD. We know teams often face problems with getting data, especially with non-wifi capable devices or in spots with bad connectivity. We also know teams all have their own solutions. We have some ideas in the works that you may be interested in that should improve the reliability of collecting data even when tablets break or connectivity is an issue. I’ll send you a private message and maybe we can get your feedback on these ideas!
I personally do not know if it is actually happening this year as there is some higher level team organization stuff that may be taking priority. Perhaps @fuddster could shed some light if appropriate.
We appreciate the concern. I’d love to hear why you think the “as a Service” is such an issue.
We are trying to find ways to offer FIRST teams the tools they’ll need either at a low price or for free with a free tier or educational licenses/discounts.
And although SaaS is often tied to constant wifi connection we are working to make sure that we offer sufficient offline capabilities since we know that this is a big issue for FIRST teams.
We want to make sure this works for everyone here at FIRST so we would love your feedback!
I can’t speak for Troy, but I suspect there would be a better reaction if it was a discrete seasonal license^ rather than a subscription based model. Saas refers to a recurring subscription, at least by my understanding, so the optics may be better with 12 month licenses even though the back end is the same.
^(perhaps with a limited free license able to support a small off season event of say 18 teams capped at a half dozen matches per team)
It’s not really an issue here, as your product would inherently require updates and actual overhead, unlike the slew of SaaS that are unjustified moneygrabs.
Associating with the likes of the more egregious subscriptions services (see: Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite*), puts a bit of a damper on a justified SaaS use case. They ruined the model for everybody. Having a little more context than just “as a service” would be helpful for the more jaded folks in the crowd.
*I know these have cloud storage packages now, but they existed in an offline state for decades without issue before this model became the norm.
We have gotten a bunch of applications for the beta, so thank you!
If you’re interested, we will be closing the beta application here soon so go ahead and fill it out right now: https://reallifedata.net/betaSignUp
Just give me an option for a manual sync with a USB drive every 10 matches or so .