Midterm Review
This section documents the current project status, system architecture, remaining tasks, and schedule for completion by June 12, 2026.
System Diagram
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SMART BEEHIVE SYSTEM │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌──────────────────┐
│ House (500ft) │
│ │
│ UniFi 6 LR AP │
│ (WiFi Transmit) │
└────────┬─────────┘
│
│ WiFi Signal
│ (500 feet)
│
┌────────▼─────────┐
│ At The Hive │
└──────────────────┘
│
┌──────────────┴──────────────┐
│ │
┌─────────▼────────┐ ┌─────────▼────────┐
│ Alfa USB WiFi │ │ External Antenna │
│ Adapter + Antenna│ │ (on hive roof) │
└─────────┬────────┘ └──────────────────┘
│
┌─────────▼──────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RASPBERRY PI 5 (8GB RAM) │
│ Main Controller & Data Hub │
│ │
│ • Reads sensors via I2C │
│ • Captures video on-demand │
│ • Uploads data to cloud dashboard │
│ • Manages power & connectivity │
└────┬────────────────────────────────────┬──────┘
│ │
│ I2C Bus │ CSI
│ │
┌────▼────────────────┐ ┌────────▼─────────┐
│ 3× SHT45 Sensors │ │ Pi Camera │
│ (Temp & Humidity) │ │ Module 3 │
│ │ │ (12MP 120°) │
│ • Inside hive │ │ │
│ • Outside hive │ │ • Entrance view │
│ • Brood chamber │ │ • On-demand │
└─────────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PHYSICAL STRUCTURE │
│ │
│ • CNC Cedar Roof (V2 - completed) │
│ • 3D Printed Camera Housing │
│ • Standard Langstroth Hive Boxes │
│ • Inner Cover (box joints - in progress) │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
│ WiFi Upload
│
┌────────▼─────────┐
│ Cloud Server │
│ (Firebase/AWS) │
│ │
│ • User Auth │
│ • Data Storage │
│ • API Endpoints │
└────────┬─────────┘
│
│ HTTPS
│
┌────────▼─────────┐
│ Web Dashboard │
│ │
│ • Live Data │
│ • Video Access │
│ • Alerts │
│ • Multi-User │
└──────────────────┘
Bill of Materials (Purchased Items)
| Component | Qty | Unit Price | Total | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB RAM) | 1 | $200.00 | $200.00 | ✅ Purchased |
| Pi Camera Module 3 (12MP 120°) | 2 | $38.50 | $77.00 | ✅ Purchased |
| SHT45 Temp/Humidity Sensors (PTFE) | 3 | $13.50 | $40.50 | ✅ Purchased |
| Cedar boards (1×6×8') | 6 | $18.27 | $109.62 | ✅ Purchased |
| Hope's 100% Pure Tung Oil | 1 | $29.99 | $29.99 | ✅ Purchased |
| UniFi 6 Long-Range AP | 1 | ~$180.00 | ~$180.00 | ⏳ Planned |
| Alfa USB WiFi Adapter + Antenna | 1 | ~$60.00 | ~$60.00 | ⏳ Planned |
| Power System (Battery/Solar - TBD) | 1 | TBD | TBD | ⏳ Researching |
| Total (Purchased) | $457.11 | |||
| Estimated Additional | ~$240+ | |||
| Project Total (Estimated) | ~$750+ | |||
Task List — Remaining Work
✅ Completed Tasks
- ✅ Design and 3D print camera housing (Week 1-2)
- ✅ CNC cut cedar roof V2 with dowel joints (Week 7)
- ✅ Design and mill Pico sensor shield PCB (Week 9)
- ✅ Integrate OLED display for sensor readouts (Week 10)
- ✅ Test SHT45 sensors with CircuitPython
- ✅ Document all weekly assignments (Weeks 1-10)
⏳ In Progress
- ⏳ Inner cover with box joints (Week 11-12)
- ⏳ WiFi system research and planning
❌ Not Started (Priority Order)
- 1. Purchase and install WiFi hardware (UniFi AP + Alfa adapter)
- 2. Wire SHT45 sensors to Pi 5 via I2C
- 3. Mount Pi Camera Module 3 in entrance housing
- 4. Develop Python sensor reading script
- 5. Set up cloud database (Firebase or AWS)
- 6. Build web dashboard with user authentication
- 7. Implement on-demand video streaming
- 8. Design and implement power system (battery/solar)
- 9. Final hive assembly and weatherproofing
- 10. Field testing and calibration
- 11. Create final project video and slide
- 12. Complete final documentation
Project Schedule — Gantt Chart
Timeline: Now (Week 10) → June 12, 2026 (Final Presentation)
Remaining Time: ~8 weeks
WEEK │ TASK │ STATUS
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
10 │ ████████████ Midterm Review │ ✅ Complete
│ ████████████ Inner Cover Design │ ⏳ In Progress
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
11 │ ████████████ Inner Cover CNC Cut │ ❌ Not Started
│ ████████████ Purchase WiFi Hardware │ ❌ Not Started
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
12 │ ████████████ Install WiFi System │ ❌ Not Started
│ ████████████ Wire Sensors to Pi │ ❌ Not Started
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
13 │ ████████████ Mount Camera │ ❌ Not Started
│ ████████████ Python Sensor Script │ ❌ Not Started
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
14 │ ████████████ Cloud Database Setup │ ❌ Not Started
│ ████████████ Web Dashboard (Frontend) │ ❌ Not Started
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
15 │ ████████████ User Authentication │ ❌ Not Started
│ ████████████ Video Streaming │ ❌ Not Started
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
16 │ ████████████ Power System Design │ ❌ Not Started
│ ████████████ Final Assembly │ ❌ Not Started
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
17 │ ████████████ Field Testing │ ❌ Not Started
│ ████████████ Calibration & Debugging │ ❌ Not Started
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
18 │ ████████████ Final Video & Slide │ ❌ Not Started
│ ████████████ Complete Documentation │ ❌ Not Started
──────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────
Jun12 │ 🎓 FINAL PRESENTATION │ Deadline
Critical Path & Risks
⚠️ High Priority / Blocking Tasks
- WiFi System: Must be purchased and tested early (Week 11-12) — 500ft range is critical for remote monitoring
- Software Development: Dashboard and data pipeline are complex — allocate 3-4 weeks (Weeks 13-16)
- Power System: Battery/solar sizing affects physical design — decide by Week 16
⚠️ Medium Risk
- Video Streaming: Bandwidth and compression may require optimization
- Sensor Wiring: Clean routing through hive boxes without disturbing bees
- Weather Sealing: Electronics must be protected from moisture
✅ Low Risk
- Mechanical Assembly: Hive construction is well-documented and tested
- Sensor Reading: SHT45 sensors already tested and working
- Camera Integration: Pi Camera Module 3 is well-supported
Next Steps for Instructor Review
Ready for Discussion:
- ✅ System architecture and component selection
- ✅ Task breakdown and priority order
- ✅ 8-week schedule to June 12 deadline
- ✅ Risk assessment and mitigation strategies