Readout Analog Gauges using ESP32-Cam with ESPHome or Home Assistant in general?

ESPHome
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Hello everyone,
I am currently trying to read out our Analog Temperature gauges inside the Heating Room, but I am unsure where to start:

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I know there is AI-On-The-Edge, but also know that this model is only trained on Electrical, Gas, or Water-Meter gauges.

But I am “Simply” trying to digitize an analog gauge, which is round and has values, which can be predicted on how the current angle of the needle is…
I guess I am not the only one having a problem like this because digital gauges (compatible with Home Assistant would be best) are costly, so I think ESP Cam is the better bet.

I already found promising (non ESP-Home, but ESP32-Cam) projects, like this one: https://circuits-ninja.pl/reading-an-indication-from-an-analog-pressure-gauge-using-the-esp32-cam-module-with-an-ov2640-and-opencv-camera/

So, my questions are:

  1. Is anybody aware of an ESP Cam Project which could do this, similar to AI-On-The-Edge?
  2. Has anybody experience in this with ESP32-Cam at all, or did do anything similar?
  3. Is there maybe a simpler approach to this than an ESP32-Cam?
  4. Would it be possible to leverage OpenCV (So the image processing could be done by HA itself) for reading out the Gauges?

Thanks to anybody who is trying to help or sharing their thoughts :raised_hands:

2 Likes
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I use OpenCV with models I’ve trained myself and I think it would be up to this task. But unfortunately it’s been broken for some time now.

I wonder if you could somehow fit a small magnet to the dial and have it drive some kind of rotary encoder on the outside?

1 Like
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Why using a cam fof temperature?
You can use Dallas DS18B20 sensors for example in ESPHome.
Way simpler and also more accurate, I think.

1 Like
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That is also my pet project. I would like to try that with CNNs. Check this one out: Machine Learning in Practice: Using Artificial Intelligence to Read Analog Gauges | Object Computing, Inc.. Please report any advances here.

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Also check this one: GitHub - sipeed/MaixPy: MicroPython for K210 RISC-V, let's play with edge AI easier