A Pointer Type Instrument Intelligent Reading System Design Based on Convolutional Neural Networks

Abstract

The pointer instrument has the advantages of being simple, reliable, stable, easy to maintain, having strong anti-interference properties, and so on, which has long occupied the main position of electrical and electric instruments. Though the pointer instrument structure is simple, it is not convenient for real-time reading of measurements. In this paper, a RK3399 microcomputer was used for real-time intelligent reading of a pointer instrument using a camera. Firstly, a histogram normalization transform algorithm was used to optimize the brightness and enhance the contrast of images; then, the feature recognition algorithm You Only Look Once 3rd (YOLOv3) was used to detect and capture the panel area in images; and Convolutional Neural Networks were used to read and predict the characteristic images. Finally, predicted results were uploaded to a server. The system realized automatic identification, numerical reading, an intelligent online reading of pointer data, which has high feasibility and practical value. The experimental results show that the recognition rate of this system was 98.71% and the reading accuracy was 97.42%. What is more, the system can accurately locate the pointer-type instrument area and read corresponding values with simple operating conditions. This achievement meets the demand of real-time readings for analog instruments.