we have been scouting for last two years and organizing data into a database. Here is what we have been doing:
If you are here in southern california, GO TO THE SCRIMMAGE. We always get a lot of data there and have a lot to work with in the time before the actual competition.
We had people go around to other team and gather data, and also gather data about that team while they were playing on the field. We observed a lot of inconsistencies and here’s what I would recommend:
Have someone observe robots on the field AT ALL TIMES
Have that person inform the Team Manager or strategy person about any changes in the robots.
The observer should also write down notes about robot- what strategy they usually go with, are they consistent every math, do they use most of their abilities all the time etc.
When you meet your alliance partner, exchange information, even though you migh have theirs and they might have yours. We also go around and ask our opponents if there is something that has been changed on their robot.
The team manager should keep a laptop with an updated database at all times
For the autonomous mode, the observer should write down what he robots seem to do most often- during practice, and every match after that and report it to the team manager
These are just some of the suggestions I had from past years. Anything else…