IRI Donated FRC micro:bit Scouting Tool

I'm donating an FRC micro:bit Scouting Tool for the Charity Auction at the 2022 Indiana Robotics Invitational. Proceeds from the 2022 Auction will benefit Riley Children’s Mental Health and Behavioral Health program and help provide services to young people in need. 

The FRC micro:bit Scouting Tool makes it easy to collect scouting data from the spectator area. The following are some key features to this tool:

  • The compact design makes it easy to carry into the bleachers and use while watching matches. 
  • The hard plastic case makes it easy to pack with other team equipment. 
  • It leverages advanced HOTAS design philosophy originally developed for fourth and fifth generation fighter jets. 
  • The tactile physical buttons allow the Scout to collect data without taking their eyes off the field. 
  • The micro:bit pocket-sized computer can be easily updated with a new app for next season’s game.

Details about this scouting tool design are available in the project guide at https://docs.google.com/document/d/10BbnenDbEBduFd8yNkgjWvo2K2hmT_u6HU_Vt-pZD5A. The item you are bidding on is the one on the table. My contact information is included in the protective case. While this is only the one item, the project guide has information on how to get the parts for more tools which can be used in a more extensive scouting program for a fraction of the price of smartphones or tablets.

This was designed to be one element used within a larger scouting system. It is part of the Data Collection element of a scouting system. Many existing scouting systems use pen and paper, scan-iron sheets, laminated scouting forms, smartphones, or tablets to collect data during matches. A limitation of all of these systems is that at some point during the match, the Scout must take their eyes off the field and look at the data collection device. The fast paced nature of FIRST competitions means that a lot can happen in these brief moments. 

The micro:bit with the joystick:bit provides tactile physical buttons. The Scout can press individual buttons based on the feel of them. This allows them to maintain constant eye contact with the robot they are scouting for the entire match while they collect valuable counts or timing data. 

The joystick:bit provides the familiar feel of a game controller. Scouts can quickly learn the mapping of the buttons and use their existing gaming experience to collect data. 

The micro:bit allows for collecting two key types of data during match play: Counts and Timing. The 2022 app provided on this tool has examples of each of these. The micro:bit is easy to program. A team member with little to not programming experience can develop custom scouting apps in a couple hours.

In this example, the buttons on the right are assigned to four zones on the field: Against the Fender, Against the Launch Pad, Driver Side, and Opposing Alliance Side. This provides a count of shots taken from each of these zones. The joystick on the left side is used to count the number of times the robot scores in the upper hub and lower hub by moving it up or down. The same joystick is used as a stopwatch to time how long it takes the robot to climb to its final position in the Hangar. Sliding to the left starts the timer and sliding to the right stops the timer.

After the match, the data collected can be displayed on the micro:bit so it can be transferred to a data worksheet or other analysis tool used for the team's larger scouting system. This is done by pressing the B button. In addition to the raw data collected, the micro:bit can provide calculated restyle based on the collected data. The example app displays a scoring percentage for the robot (i.e., shots taken/scored Cargo count). This gives a quick indication of the consistency or reliability of the robot for scoring Cargo in the Hub. While a simple calculation, this percentage listed in a scouting table makes it easy to compare potential Alliance Selection Partners with each other.

Once the data has been transferred to the Analysis tool, the counts are reset by pressing the A button on the micro:bit.

The 2022 scouting tool was programmed using Microsoft's MakeCode online coding environment with Blocks. MakeCode allows users to also program in Java or Python. By using the MakeCode Blocks coding environment, new team members with little or no programming background can help develop the team's custom scouting app while they get familiar with the team culture and FRC experience. They become an instrumental part of the team's success, gain programming experience, and get to dig deeper into the game play and match strategy. The project guide provides a link to the example app provided with this tool. If you have questions on how it was developed or design decisions made, please reach out using my contact information provided in the case.

The micro:bit also provides a great platform that the team can use for hosting a summer coding camp for younger kids in their community. This type of summer camp can also be a useful fundraising opportunity for the team. This scouting tool is one more example of practical ways of using the micro:bit outside the classroom.

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