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--- amc:ss2023:group-x:start [2023/07/19 15:50] – [3.1.4 Interface Web-Server] luca-alexander.froehling
+++ amc:ss2023:group-x:start [2023/07/25 11:00] (current) – [Smart gas metering with computer vision] alice.peter
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Smart gas metering with computer vision  ======
-//by Luca Alexander Fröhling (30588), Til Scholz (?) and Alice Peter (?)//
+//by Luca Alexander Fröhling (30588), Til Scholz (?) and Alice Peter (30828)//
 ====== 1. Introduction  ======
+Smart gas meters are self-reading devices used to measure gas flow, they are able to wirelessly connect to an external server to keep track of gas consumption, helping in infrastucture manteinance, remote location monitoring and automatic billing. They offer numerous benefits. The same technology can be applied in other configurations, such as in the case of smart water metering, manteining the same modes of action and advantages.
 ==== 1.2 Why should we use smart meters?  ====
+Smart gas meters are considered to be a superior choice than traditional ones due to various reasons, here below the most relevant ones are listed:
+  * Reliable and accurate readings: smart gas meters provide real-time data, ensuring precise measurements about gas consuption patterns. As a result, the consumer can rely on those data, making reasoned and efficient decisions on gas usage.
+  * Automated reading and billing: this is one of the most radical improvements regarding smart gas meters: relying on traditional ones means depending on human errors due to manual readings and also spend time on taking data. Smart gas meters provide an automatized process, in which readings are transmitted directly to gas providing companies via wireless connection. This leads to more accurate readings, that result in billing acually based on the real gas usage, without estimations.
+  * Remote monitoring: remote control ensures quicker and safer detection of gas leaks, anomalies, or any other issue. In this manner, rapid responses can be taken to avoid any gas damage and to avoid emergency situations. Moreover, the customer has access to an online database of his gas consuption pattern, which results in a greater awareness on gas consuption.
+  * Improved customer service: gas utility companies have access to the consumer’s data remotely, this can help solve quickly and efficiently issues, but also reduce gas consuption where possible.
+  * Integration with smart grids: smart gas meter can be connceted to smart grids. These innovative grids provide efficient pricing models, demand-response programs, and load balance. This results in an improved grid management and stability.
+  * Energy efficiency and saving: reliable and real-time data make sure customers take informed decisions, additionally gas providers can reduce gas output in areas where possible. This promotes sustainable use of gas resources.
 ====== 2 Materials and Methods  ======
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 For the project it was necessary to design a housing for the camera, which should fulfill various functions. The most important two functions were on the one hand a stable and precise alignment of the camera and on the other hand the shadowing of the counter from other, external light sources to prevent possible reflections on the images of the camera.
 {{:amc:ss2023:group-x:img_1778.jpg?200|}
 {{:amc:ss2023:group-x:img_1779_2.jpg?200|}}
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 As described in 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 the used program already provides a pre-made interface, where we can access the data after an easy and relatively quick registration of over camera. Within the scope of this documentation, a few excerpts are presented below, which show some of the most important functions.
-{{:amc:ss2023:group-x:bildschirmfoto_2023-07-19_um_15.27.31.png?200|}} {{:amc:ss2023:group-x:bildschirmfoto_2023-07-19_um_15.39.11.png?200|}}
+{{:amc:ss2023:group-x:bildschirmfoto_2023-07-19_um_15.27.31.png?200|}} {{:amc:ss2023:group-x:bildschirmfoto_2023-07-19_um_15.52.04.png?200|}}
 These two pictures show the "Overview" where the latest image taken by the camera is shown. Additionally we are able to read the latest values directly on the right part of the page.
-==== 3.3 Discussion ====
-==== 3.4 Problems  ====
+{{:amc:ss2023:group-x:bildschirmfoto_2023-07-19_um_15.28.48.png?200|}}
+On this screenshot the automated acquisition of the digit ROIs can be seen.
+{{:amc:ss2023:group-x:bildschirmfoto_2023-07-19_um_15.29.29.png?200|}}
+This screenshot shows the history of the read values. This file can also be downloaded as csv.file to process data in another form.
+======= 4.0 Discussion =======
+===== 4.1 Problems  =====
 During setup and installation, we encountered many problems that unfortunately stalled the process at times. Initially, we had difficulty working with the camera itself, as we were not used to the process of flashing and uploading new code. Often, we didn't know if the code was uploaded, the camera was flashed correctly or just the connection to Uartsbee programmer was wrong. After we could fix these problems we started with the setup of the AI-on-the-edge program. There were some good tutorials on YouTube but most of them were several years old and based on older versions of the AI-on-the-edge program. With the documentation that was available on the GitHub of the program we had at least some written help. Following the documentation, we managed to start the web server, where the next problem occurred. Without a serial monitor we did not know which IP address was assigned. After we found out the correct IP address through Arduino we went to the setup of the camera. Where we encountered the next problem, which was the focus setting. This could be changed by turning the lens of the camera, which is fixed with glue when delivered. By removing the glue, the focus should be changeable. However, during this process, the connection from the board to the camera broke and we had to get a new one. When it worked with the second camera the next step was to build a device that is in the right distance to the gas meter, is removable and also the camera should be removable. Within all these requirements, the camera always had to be in the same place, otherwise the program would have problems reading the numbers. For our purposes, we have removed the glass cover of the gas meter, as this can easily cause reflections of the LED and built a cover that is light protected to avoid further reflections. However, this change deprived us of the possibility to use our project for private purposes, since the removal of the glass on gas meters is not allowed. Despite the above-mentioned difficulties, we were happy with our project in the end, even though it cannot be used for private purposes. For this, however, you would only have to build a new device over the glass cover.
-====== 4.0 Conclusion  ======
+===== 4.2 Conclusion  =====
+The objective of this project was to develop a functional smart meter for a commercial gas meter and thus make remote reading and remote monitoring possible. This can be interesting especially in smarthome applications to detect consumption and potentials. This task was successfully achieved despite the problems outlined in 4.1. As shown in the previous sections, the concept is reliable and easy to use. In addition, the data can currently be retrieved via a local WIFi.
+A possible goal in the further development of the project is the integration of the smart meter into a smarthome concept in order to optimize not only water and electricity consumption but also gas consumption. For this purpose, it would be necessary to transmit the data to another server.
+In addition to these findings, legal issues must also be clarified, which have already been explained in the preliminary phase.
 ====== 5.0 Sources  ======