Online "Spy-sheets"?

FIRST General Forum
#21

Posted by Joe Ross at 1/24/2001 7:51 PM EST

Engineer on team #330, Beach Bot, from Hope Chapel Academy and NASA/JPL , J&F Machine, and Raytheon.

In Reply to: Re: Online “Spy-sheets”?
Posted by wehba on 1/24/2001 7:21 PM EST:

: How do I make one up?

Our team has used scouting sheets in the past. They are designed so that your drivers and coaches know as much about the teams you are playing with as possible. This year it is even more critical than in past years, becuase you don’t have much time to plan strategy before the matches. It can easily take all the strategy time just explaining the capabilities of each robot.

Here is how our team goes about making up our scouting sheets. I’m sure that there are many other methods also, but this is what we do:

We first make a list of all the capabilites that we think a robot could have. Then we list all the other things that we would be helpful to know about a robot. Next we divide these things into two categories: Capabilities that we can find out by asking and observing in the pits, and Capabilites that we need to watch the robot in action for. We then make up a document with one side for the first category and the back side for the second category.

Some ideas for things that might be put on a scouting sheet: a checkbox for whether or not they can go underneath the bar. A space to list strength and weaknesses. A place to describe the robot, so drivers don’t have to recognize by team number only. Another useful thing is to have a spot describing a possible strategy if your team is paired with this team

After the scouting sheets are made, you need to use them. Depending on the size and involvement level of you team, you designate people to be “scouts”. Their job is to fill out your scouting sheets for as many teams as possible.

What you will find, is that the scouting sheets can be very helpful, but only if filled out accuretly. This is the reason for the two sides. you will find that most teams will unintentionally inflate the capabilites of their robot. Once you see the robot in action, you have a clearer picture of what the robot can really do, but you don’t get the full picture until you both talk to the team and watch the robot.

Last year there were at least two collaborative efforts among teams, so that each team didn’t have to scout every robot. They were, for the most part, very succesfull. Those two were called: SOAP and GMCIA. you can find out more about SOAP at their website: soap108.com and you can find out more information about GMCIA by e-mailing Nate Smith (you can find his e-mail address in his profile). There was also a message posted earlier about the two systems combining so you may want to look for more information about that.

I hope I haven’t needlessly bored you and I hope that I have given you some good information.

Joe Ross
Beach Bot, Team 330

#22

Posted by soap108 at 1/24/2001 8:09 PM EST

Engineer on team #108, SigmaC@T, from Dillard & Taravella HS and Motorola.

In Reply to: scouting sheets
Posted by Joe Ross on 1/24/2001 7:51 PM EST:

Echoing an earlier post:

soap108.com is still having DNS issues with the company Net Services (they have a nasty habit of losing things…like multiple confirmations that we paid-up a year ago)

Anyway, that should be resolved by this Saturday. You can still get there by http://63.239.116.179/ New and refreshed pages will start appearing this weekend.

Enjoy.
The S.O.A.P. Team
Team 108 - SigmaC@T

p.s. Question for GMCIA users: What were the key features that you found to be most appealing/useful?
Same question for SOAP users.

If we combine, we would like to know what you appreciated and what you could get by w/o having.

Thanks! ;~)

: : How do I make one up?

: Our team has used scouting sheets in the past. They are designed so that your drivers and coaches know as much about the teams you are playing with as possible. This year it is even more critical than in past years, becuase you don’t have much time to plan strategy before the matches. It can easily take all the strategy time just explaining the capabilities of each robot.

: Here is how our team goes about making up our scouting sheets. I’m sure that there are many other methods also, but this is what we do:

: We first make a list of all the capabilites that we think a robot could have. Then we list all the other things that we would be helpful to know about a robot. Next we divide these things into two categories: Capabilities that we can find out by asking and observing in the pits, and Capabilites that we need to watch the robot in action for. We then make up a document with one side for the first category and the back side for the second category.

: Some ideas for things that might be put on a scouting sheet: a checkbox for whether or not they can go underneath the bar. A space to list strength and weaknesses. A place to describe the robot, so drivers don’t have to recognize by team number only. Another useful thing is to have a spot describing a possible strategy if your team is paired with this team

: After the scouting sheets are made, you need to use them. Depending on the size and involvement level of you team, you designate people to be “scouts”. Their job is to fill out your scouting sheets for as many teams as possible.

: What you will find, is that the scouting sheets can be very helpful, but only if filled out accuretly. This is the reason for the two sides. you will find that most teams will unintentionally inflate the capabilites of their robot. Once you see the robot in action, you have a clearer picture of what the robot can really do, but you don’t get the full picture until you both talk to the team and watch the robot.

: Last year there were at least two collaborative efforts among teams, so that each team didn’t have to scout every robot. They were, for the most part, very succesfull. Those two were called: SOAP and GMCIA. you can find out more about SOAP at their website: soap108.com and you can find out more information about GMCIA by e-mailing Nate Smith (you can find his e-mail address in his profile). There was also a message posted earlier about the two systems combining so you may want to look for more information about that.

: I hope I haven’t needlessly bored you and I hope that I have given you some good information.

: Joe Ross
: Beach Bot, Team 330

#23

Posted by Carrie at 1/26/2001 11:26 AM EST

Student on team #27, Team Rush, from OSMTech Academy and Textron.

In Reply to: Re: Online “Spy-sheets”?
Posted by wehba on 1/24/2001 7:21 PM EST:

: : : That sounds a little ILLEGAL but hey it is your team.

: : It’s not Illegal. we have been using scouting sheets for 5 years now, if your a rookie team I suggest that you make one up. They really do help!
: : ~~~Carrie 27

:
: How do I make one up?

Go through everything from robot function to strategy. Every team looks for something different, our team looks for startegy. But ask questions like do they handle big balls… or do they control the bridge stuff like that.

#24

Posted by Tom at 1/20/2001 7:44 PM EST

Student on team #25, Raider Robotix, from North Brunswick Township High School and Bristol Myers-Squib.

In Reply to: Online “Spy-sheets”?
Posted by JVN on 1/19/2001 10:37 PM EST:

: In the spirit of cooperation and the kindler gentler FIRST has anyone thought of compiling a
: database of info on all the teams?
: In past years our team has written up “spy sheets” (that name doesn’t seem appropriate this
: year) on as many teams as we could. This year that could be beneficial to everyone. If a couple
: teams got together after the regionals and contributed we could have almost everyone profiled.
: Ahh well, it is hard for me to get over “veil-of-secrecy” we used to use in the past. (old habits
: die hard) I’m sure it will be like that with other teams too. But if we got enough people together
: we could definitely pull it off.
: Whatever, it’s just an idea.

: ~John #250

My team (team 25) will have a place in the pit area where we will print out copies of scouting results and pictures of other team’s robots. We’ll also have an online database open 27/7 with all the information too.

~Tom McLean
Team 25 Wemaster and Computer Guy

#25

Posted by soap108 at 1/22/2001 10:21 AM EST

Engineer on team #108, SigmaC@T, from Dillard & Taravella HS and Motorola.

In Reply to: Online “Spy-sheets”?
Posted by JVN on 1/19/2001 10:37 PM EST:

I have read the forum and I like what I hear. As you know, the award winning SOAP project won an award for sportsmanship. This was because we allowed ALL teams to view our database. This was a new step that we took last year and was a great asset to FIRST teams. But why stop there. This year our next goal is to get other teams involved as well. This is why are have officially teamed up with Wildstang and Techokats. Teaming up with more teams is a strong possibility. We can discuss this more in detail. However, according to the forum, it seems that many teams are going to create their own database with their own booth at FIRST. This does not sound like a teaming effort. Perhaps a better solution is to have one database with many teams feeding the data. This is a lot more efficient and would provide higher accuracy of information.

Every year we try to add more features to SOAP. Some of the new features of SOAP is listed below along those from previous years.

Web Site
- Registration Forms/Team Profile (This will allow teams to enter their scouting information before any competition and can be updated at any time)
- Online database (Teams can query the SOAP database from just about any where)
- Communications (Possibly a forum and or chat server)
- Real-time update (Match information and rankings from competitions)
- Playbook (Different scenarios and their possible scoring advantages)

Database
- Digital Video of matches (Our database stores a digital video of every match, including those from certain regionals)
- Match scores (Our SOAPsters are continuously updating our database with the latest match results)
- Team Rankings (Based on match results, real-time updates of the latest rankings)
- Scouting information (Complete profile of all teams, this includes their strengths and weakness as well as match information)
- Kiosk (A kiosk will be available at the competition for querying of the database and video viewing)
- And much more…

Paging System
- The ability to send alpha pages, cellular pages, and emails.
- Match information (When registered for this service, you will receive match information for the teams you specified)
- On-Deck alerts (When registered for this service, you will receive a page when your team is up next)
- Kiosk (A kiosk will be available at the competition for registration)

Teaming up with other teams would enable SOAP to be at more regionals. We are currently limited to the Motorola Midwest Regional and the National Competition due to space limitations. If you are attending a regional that is space permitting and would like to participate in video recording, please contact us so that we can coordinate this with FIRST thru the proper channels.

From the SOAP team.

#26

Posted by soap108 at 1/22/2001 3:25 PM EST

Engineer on team #108, SigmaC@T, from Dillard & Taravella HS and Motorola.

In Reply to: SOAP
Posted by soap108 on 1/22/2001 10:21 AM EST:

I received an email from the GMCIA group this morning. They have expressed interest in teaming up and combining our two systems. As far as the technical aspect that Andy B. describe in his reply to Kenny, I think their should be one database. This way all teams get the same information. Hence the term, combine. As far as GMCIA, we are going to discuss the details at our next meeting. No decisions have been made yet. My question to all you out there, would you like to see both teams team-up, and would your team like to participate as well? Just a small survey…

#27