Posted by Nate Smith.
Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 9/20/2000 9:31 AM MST
Well, we don’t even know what this year’s game is yet, but the time has come to start planning some other parts of the upcoming season, including the GMCIA scouting network. For those of you who are new to the competition and aren’t familiar with what the GMCIA is, it is a shared scouting network, where the participating teams decide on a common set of scouting criteria and then gather information on the teams at the regionals that they attend, culminating the season with a setup at Nationals that combines all the information gathered previously with information collected at the national competition itself. For those of you who worked with the network last year, here’s a few of the new features in the works for 2001:
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A single-database system, instantly connecting the Palm/Visor users and the web system users.
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An improved web access system, allowing record editing and data analysis without leaving the browser.
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NetSync technology, allowing full database access without being connected to the network, and synchronizing with the master database when you reconnect to the network (Windows only)
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Robot Pictures included with all reports.
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‘Informant’ regional event software, that allows downloading of the latest information from the Internet before an event, and uploading of new information after the regional, without duplicating any data in the master database.
All of the same reports will be available as last year, with possibly a couple more if everything works out. The Informant software will be available by the first set of regionals, with the LAN/web interface undergoing first field testing at either the Great Lakes or Midwest regional(still TBD).
Last year, we had over 1,500 records in the database in Florida, with even more anticipated this coming season. Interested in being a part of GMCIA? Please e-mail me at njsmith@online.emich.edu so I can add your team to the list(Please include GMCIA in the subject line of your e-mail). If you have any questions regarding the GMCIA, feel free to e-mail me as well. I am asking that you e-mail rather than post a reply under this message so that it is easier for me to keep track of those teams who are interested.
See you at the competition!
Nate Smith
Posted by Erin. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Other on team #1, The Juggernauts, from OTC-NE and 3-Dimensional Services.
Posted on 9/20/2000 10:03 AM MST
In Reply to: GMCIA 2001 - Who’s Interested? posted by Nate Smith on 9/20/2000 9:31 AM MST:
Nate-
I’ll ask and see if the Juggernauts are interested. Since we have a few people who are VERY familiar with the system, I am sure we could get in on it very easily. I’ll get back to you about it soon. I hope others are interested!!
-Erin
Posted by Nate Smith.
Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 9/21/2000 6:07 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: GMCIA 2001 - Who’s Interested? posted by Erin on 9/20/2000 10:03 AM MST:
: I’ll ask and see if the Juggernauts are interested. Since we have a few people who are VERY familiar with the system, I am sure we could get in on it very easily. I’ll get back to you about it soon.
Sounds good…just drop me an e-mail when you know for sure…it’s easier for me to keep track of who wants to be involved that way…
: I hope others are interested!!
From the looks of the e-mails that I’ve gotten already, I’d say people are…we’ll have to see how big this thing gets this year… =)
Nate
Posted by S. Krussell.
Coach on team #349, Robahamas, from International Academy and Ford Motor Co…
Posted on 9/20/2000 7:25 PM MST
In Reply to: GMCIA 2001 - Who’s Interested? posted by Nate Smith on 9/20/2000 9:31 AM MST:
Hey Nate and others: Trevor from Team #349 has developed a new scouting system, making use of graphing calculators, instead of palms or laptops. He has written the program, and ‘how to’ manuals. He will be sharing this with everyone as soon as he puts the finishing touches on it. (We are hoping that it will be ready to unveil at the Ford Sweet Repeat on October 7)
This could be a lot more usable than palms, because pretty much everyone has a graphing calculator, but palms are still expensive.
If Trevor is reading this, perhaps he can comment further on his fabulous project!
Trevor’s coach
Posted by Nate Smith.
Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 9/21/2000 6:05 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: GMCIA 2001 - Who’s Interested? posted by S. Krussell on 9/20/2000 7:25 PM MST:
: Hey Nate and others: Trevor from Team #349 has developed a new scouting system, making use of graphing calculators, instead of palms or laptops. He has written the program, and ‘how to’ manuals. He will be sharing this with everyone as soon as he puts the finishing touches on it. (We are hoping that it will be ready to unveil at the Ford Sweet Repeat on October 7)
: This could be a lot more usable than palms, because pretty much everyone has a graphing calculator, but palms are still expensive.
: If Trevor is reading this, perhaps he can comment further on his fabulous project!
: Trevor’s coach
Just a thought…what if we were to combine the two systems? Making it one large system rather than two competing ones would mean more information for everybody, and give people another option for gathering information without having to resort to the ‘pen & paper’ method…let me know what you think…Catch up with me this weekend at Kettering if nothing else…
Nate
Posted by Leon Machado IV.
Student on team #88, Working on a new team, from Bridgewater State College and Johnson & Johnson.
Posted on 9/21/2000 7:00 AM MST
In Reply to: Possible System Integration? posted by Nate Smith on 9/21/2000 6:05 AM MST:
Also, I think that we should be able to download the system before we start playing with it in Florida. Some of us might have to clean our palms and calculators out in order to use it and we don’t want to try and be doing that in Florida. Maybe put the program on you web page.
Posted by Nate Smith.
Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 9/21/2000 8:01 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: Possible System Integration? posted by Leon Machado IV on 9/21/2000 7:00 AM MST:
: Also, I think that we should be able to download the system before we start playing with it in Florida. Some of us might have to clean our palms and calculators out in order to use it and we don’t want to try and be doing that in Florida. Maybe put the program on you web page.
Once the system is finalized, it will be made available on the Internet for teams to download. The Windows NetSync and Informant software packages, the Palm OS application, and any other software developed, as well as a ready-to-print hard copy form will be made available. This will allow teams to start using the system at the regionals to become more familiar with it when they arrive in Florida, and will increase greatly the amount of usable information.
One problem we ran across when integrating various systems last year was the lack of an easy way to merge the data without having ‘holes’ due to differing criteria. We are planning to have the system completed before the first set of regionals.
Nate
Posted by Erin. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Other on team #1, The Juggernauts, from OTC-NE and 3-Dimensional Services.
Posted on 9/21/2000 11:32 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: Possible System Integration? posted by Nate Smith on 9/21/2000 8:01 AM MST:
WHATIF there are no alliances this year? are you guys planning accordingly just in case since there is no certainty? just a thought…
-erin
Posted by Nate Smith.
Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.
Posted on 9/21/2000 12:18 PM MST
In Reply to: has anyone thought… posted by Erin on 9/21/2000 11:32 AM MST:
: WHATIF there are no alliances this year? are you guys planning accordingly just in case since there is no certainty? just a thought…
:
: -erin
While I admit that there’s always a possibility that FIRST decides to drop alliances out of the game this year, I’d say the odds are definitely in our favor that they will keep alliances, for a number of reasons:
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Growth - With the growth of FIRST, they need to make sure that whatever game they design gives teams as much play time as possible, and one way to do this is to have more teams on the field at once. Alliances gives this opportunity.
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Dean Likes Alliances - In the two years that the competition has included alliances in some form, Dean has repeatedly mentioned that he likes the alliance format because it forces to work with other teams, with little to no advance planning. Now, this is only my 4th year with the competition, but one thing I’ve noticed is that whatever Dean likes about one season carries over to the next 99% of the time. And so, as far as alliances sticking around goes, I like those odds… =)
Of course, like I said up at top of this msg, anything is possible…but as for what is LIKELY, I have a feeling that we will see alliances in some form again in 2001…
Nate
Posted by S. Krussell.
Coach on team #349, Robahamas, from International Academy and Ford Motor Co…
Posted on 9/21/2000 2:47 PM MST
In Reply to: has anyone thought… posted by Erin on 9/21/2000 11:32 AM MST:
I’ll eat my hat.
Posted by Erin. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Other on team #1, The Juggernauts, from OTC-NE and 3-Dimensional Services.
Posted on 9/21/2000 11:30 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: GMCIA 2001 - Who’s Interested? posted by S. Krussell on 9/20/2000 7:25 PM MST:
I have my ti-86 waiting. i will be at sweet repeat.
-erin
p.s. sue- have you ever noticed that the first and last letters of idea are IA? you probably already did though 