A question of evolution - part 1, the pits and pre-staging
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 8:18 am
in the beginning... paper pencil and sharp eyes made up many PWD race management systems ... often also used now as a backup to the electronic equivalent.
My question is this... where do we go from here?
Here is what I envision, and I am inviting an open table discussion of what exists now that could potentially be developed to achieve an evolution.
here is what I started doing over the years to try to streamline:
1. I created a spreadsheet of all 75 scouts, sorted by den, to create the roster ahead of time
BENEFIT - no manual entry of names
DETRACTOR - prenumbering the names can cause gaps in the race numbers used if boys are not present at the race, but are listed on the roster.
POTENTIAL SOLUTION - ( feature request ) -- "roster compression" perhaps the software can have a button to compress the roster as it relates to the race numbers assigned from a pre-generated roster list, pushing the absentees to the "bottom" of the numbering sequencing for each race group.
NON TECH SOLUTION - use stripe of tape across front of each row of cars, and wait till cars are finalized to label the slots to the cars who are present.
SUPER HIGH TECH FUTURAMA SOLUTION - LED displays similar to the finish line systems built in to pit "Boards" or even just a pit "strip" that receives signals from GPRM to display the race number in each slot... as well as showing lane assignments for upcomng heat.
ANOTHER HIGH TECH SOLUTION - use a projector to project the race pits grid from above on a flat surface, grid, numbers, etc... the animation could also "highlight" the cars for the next heat, in the color of the correct lane assignment. Could also have a "stack" of heat assignments on the side, showing the race numbers for each lane coming up ( a projected race schedule )... this is in my mind an almost bulletproof pit system, and the possibilities for animation and fun visual stuff are endless....
My question is this... where do we go from here?
Here is what I envision, and I am inviting an open table discussion of what exists now that could potentially be developed to achieve an evolution.
here is what I started doing over the years to try to streamline:
1. I created a spreadsheet of all 75 scouts, sorted by den, to create the roster ahead of time
BENEFIT - no manual entry of names
DETRACTOR - prenumbering the names can cause gaps in the race numbers used if boys are not present at the race, but are listed on the roster.
POTENTIAL SOLUTION - ( feature request ) -- "roster compression" perhaps the software can have a button to compress the roster as it relates to the race numbers assigned from a pre-generated roster list, pushing the absentees to the "bottom" of the numbering sequencing for each race group.
NON TECH SOLUTION - use stripe of tape across front of each row of cars, and wait till cars are finalized to label the slots to the cars who are present.
SUPER HIGH TECH FUTURAMA SOLUTION - LED displays similar to the finish line systems built in to pit "Boards" or even just a pit "strip" that receives signals from GPRM to display the race number in each slot... as well as showing lane assignments for upcomng heat.
ANOTHER HIGH TECH SOLUTION - use a projector to project the race pits grid from above on a flat surface, grid, numbers, etc... the animation could also "highlight" the cars for the next heat, in the color of the correct lane assignment. Could also have a "stack" of heat assignments on the side, showing the race numbers for each lane coming up ( a projected race schedule )... this is in my mind an almost bulletproof pit system, and the possibilities for animation and fun visual stuff are endless....