Automatic Reading Algorithm of Substation Dial Gauges Based on Coordinate Positioning

Abstract

With the development of science and technology, inspection robots have attracted more and more attention, and research on the automatic reading of pointer instruments through inspection robots has become particularly valuable. Aiming at the problems of uneven illumination, complex dial background and damping fluid interference of the collected instrument images, this paper proposes a dial gauge reading algorithm based on coordinate positioning. First, the multi-scale retinex with color restoration (MSRCR) is applied to improve the uneven illumination of the image. Second, a circle detection algorithm based on the arc-support line segment is proposed to detect the disc to obtain the coordinate of the center and radius of the circle. Then, a pointerless template is used to obtain the pointer, and the concentric circle algorithm is applied to locate the refined pointer. Finally, the automatic reading is calculated using the relative position of the pointer and the zero scale. The experimental results prove that the proposed algorithm can accurately locate the center of the circle and the pointer and obtain readings automatically.