Week 4: WBS and Gantt Chart

Before diving headfirst into wiring up microcontrollers and writing Python scripts, this week was all about hitting the brakes and actually planning the architecture. A sensor-fusion project like A.E.G.I.S. has a lot of moving parts, so I needed a solid roadmap to ensure I wouldn't get lost in the weeds later on.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

To stop the project from feeling like one massive, impossible mountain, I built a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The idea here was to chop the entire A.E.G.I.S. system into bite-sized, logical modules.

I separated the workload into highly specific phases: initial Radio Frequency (RF) research, hardware procurement, embedded C development (for the ESP32 Wi-Fi tripwire), Python backend processing (the Wave-Shift math engine), and finally, the sensor fusion logic tying in the LD2410C radar. Mapping it out like this was a game-changer. It clearly highlighted the true scope of the project and gave me a tangible checklist to work through, rather than just blindly coding and hoping it all connects at the end.

Gantt Chart

With the WBS outlining what needed to be done, I used a Gantt chart to map out when it would happen. Hardware and software projects are heavily dependent on sequence. For instance, I physically cannot calibrate the Python kinetic variance thresholds until the ESP32 network is successfully generating an autonomous Wi-Fi stream.

Plotting the tasks on a visual timeline helped me lock in strict dependencies and allocate specific weeks for coding, debugging, and physical testing. I used a timeline tool to visually stack the tasks leading up to the final submission in April. It gives me a clear sequence of deadlines and, most importantly, ensures I have enough buffer time for the inevitable troubleshooting that comes with custom hardware integration.