Automatic analog and digital gauge reading
Nara reads gauges and meters from a camera: digital displays with OCR, analog dials with needle detection. Values are logged continuously, trended on a dashboard and sent to SCADA, and an alarm is raised when they go out of range.
[ 01 ]The problem
Operators walk rounds to read and write down gauges and meters. Readings are infrequent and sometimes wrong.
- 01inputCamera pointed at the gauge or display
- 02processDigital: crop and OCR. Analog: needle detection, converted to a value
- 03actionLog the value, trend it, alarm when out of range, send it to SCADA
How it works
For digital displays, Nara crops the display and reads it with OCR. For analog dials, it detects the needle with keypoints or a custom model and converts its position to a value. Each reading is stored, trended on the dashboard with moving-window statistics, compared with your limits, and sent to SCADA over MQTT or HTTP.
Works with Nara’s built-in models. You set up the zones, rules and outputs. Digital displays work out of the box. Analog dials need a model trained in Reva or project calibration.
What you need
- A camera with a fixed view of each gauge or display
- For analog dials: a model trained in Reva or a calibrated setup
- Optional: SCADA reachable over MQTT or HTTP
Nara building blocks
- Camera nodes
- Crop
- OCR
- Needle detection (keypoints or custom model)
- Maths and moving-window statistics
- Database table
- Dashboard charts
- MQTT and HTTP output
- AI model: OCR (text reading)
What it improves
- Walk rounds removed
- Continuous readings instead of one per shift
- Earlier warnings
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Does it work with old analog gauges?
Yes. Analog dials are read by detecting the needle, with a model trained in Reva or a calibrated setup, and converting its position to a value.
Does it need an internet connection?
No. Nara runs on your own hardware on the local network, and images and results stay on-site. Eligible tiers also support offline licensing locked to the hardware.
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Talk to us about gauge reading.
Tell us about your site, cameras and machines, and we’ll show you how it runs on your own hardware, or download Nara and try it yourself.