I know a lot of teams have elaborate computer and video systems set up at events for scouting purposes, but Team 75 typically uses scouting sheets with robot information not just for getting information in the pits, but also for recording match info, observation of autonomous code behavior, etc. Is anyone else going old school with paper scouting sheets for recording this vast variety of information?
1568 also scouts old school
Teams 70 and 494 also scout with scouting sheets. We’ve done it this way for years. We have talked about going high tech but just haven’t made the leap.
Team 234 uses scouting sheets. For a while we were using computers and what not but it became too complex and it’s not something you could just pick up and run over to the drive team with so we’ve gone back to paper. It’s the easiest to use and understand for our team. We scout old school…ooh yeah! :]
Haha, ya, we, team 433, also use scouting sheets. I think this is partially because none of us would want to carry a computer around…but that’s just me, so maybe not.
Aces High uses scouting sheets. We also have computer programs for fast statistical rankings, but we don’t know how to get comments and autonomous maps into the computer, quickly. Also, with six robots on the field, we do not have enough computers for each robot.
Team 716 has always used scouting sheets. It wouldn’t be any other way.
Team 45 uses scouting sheets.
In 2000-2002, we were in on the scouting collaboration plan, with GMCIA, SOAP & WASH. Also, we’ve done scouting with Palm Pilots.
After some frustration with those systems, we went back to paper scouting and have not looked back. I think that the thing that ended up making us switch was a crashed computer on a Saturday morning, leaving us with no data at all during alliance picking.
I’ve heard about some reliable and robust computer-based systems that work well for teams. While that is great for some teams, it is not good for us at this point.
Andy B.
not every year, we found out about it quite early on though. (andy and jaine would remember pre-scouting sheet days the most, but we have all heard the stories.)
Our team uses paper-based scouting forms (one for pre-match pit scouting and one for in-match team scouting). This year, we have been using a scanning packaging (ReMark OMR software) to optically-recognize the filled-in circles (e.g sacel of 1-5 for driving ability) which dumps all the match scouting forms into an Excel database.
We pride ourself on the use of this type of technology to augment our FIRST experience. It’s been a great learning lesson for students and mentors.
Whatever system you use, just be sure that you’re asking questions that are really IMPORTANT. many teams ask a whole bunch of silly questions that really have no bearing on alliance partnerhship selection process.
ps: we used this same software during build season to do timecards for every student, mentor and adult to track when and on what “department” we were spending all our time…
MOE 365 uses scouting sheets. We’ve played a bit with doing something electronic, but it doesn’t fit too well with the method of scouting we do. (We even have a Wi-Fi hub powered by one of the robot batteries – should last all day at a competition, if we ever decide to use it.)
Electronically, we could capture all the empirical data, but we also want to read the opinions of the scouts as well. If they see something that might suggest another robot’s weakness, even if not demonstrated in a match, we want to know that. The next person scouting that team can watch to see if that is indeed a weakness.
We do not assign teams to the scouts. Last year, we assigned times (i.e., 10:00 - 11:00 Friday) to individuals, and whichever teams were competing then were scouted by them. This way, you get multiple points of view on each robot and a better overall picture of its’ capabilities and weaknesses.
That will change at nationals.
We use scouting sheets. Each sheet lasts two matches, and is then turned in to the data entry people, who use Excel to sort the data and teams.
Scouting sheets all the way
We have a mixed system. However, most observations are merely written.
1038 uses scouting sheets, then those are put into Excel.
MARRS is a hybrid sheets/computer system. Though you could theoretically have everything computer based our team uses sheets for both watching a match and then printed scouting reports to show our drive team. We get the best of both worlds because MARRS shows Autonomous maps, comments, as well as numerical data.
1126 use a paper scouting sheet, but we also input that in to a computer for rankings and such. the sheet is very helpful for the drivers(first-hand experience) you can usally find what u want instantly and then give it back to the scoutmaster.
177 will never go back to Palm Pilot Scouting for the pits. In fact, we didn’t even do pit scoting at UTC or Philly this year. We went around during friday awards, and took a good picture of each team, and made assumptions of capabilities based on that.
For match scouting we have two mentors (ex-team members / drivers) who take their own seperate notes on teams they see in matches, and then we have lots of students who scout every team of every match, and compile that into a big book. So that way we have three seperate opinions, since the mentors are both somewhat opinionated, and the students quality varies.
Team SPAM uses scouting sheets. Then we take the information and load it into STAMP for statistical analysis.
Computers are fun, but nothing beats a piece of paper and a pencil.