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A CAMERA TAPED TO YOUR WATER METER READS IT FOR YOU, NO METER SWAP NEEDED

An ESP32-CAM board taped to your water meter reads the dials with a neural network running on the chip itself, no cloud, no meter swap.

by jomjol

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

HomeAutomation

difficulty
●●●○○
time
a weekend
license
Custom Dual Use License
repo
repo ACTIVE8,571 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
  • Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
  • Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware

Partner

Run your scrapers in the cloud — This build needs data collection that runs 24/7. Apify's free plan includes $5 in credits every month — no card needed.Try Apify free
Videos
1

COMPAREE VERDICT

AI-on-the-edge-device does exactly what it says: it points a camera at the dial, crops the regions where the digits sit, and runs TensorFlow Lite on an ESP32-CAM to read them. The whole device is around 3 x 4.5 x 2 cm, costs less than ten euros in parts, and works on water, gas and electricity meters without touching the meter itself. That last part is the real win—no utility approval, no seal-breaking, just a printed holder and a camera. The firmware has a web interface for configuration, OTA updates, and direct output to Home Assistant, MQTT or a REST API. The repository is actively developed, well-documented, and has over 8,500 stars. The catch: the licence is a custom Dual Use License that forbids commercial use without permission, so this is strictly for personal installs. The other thing that will eat time is dialling in the ROI boxes and training the recognition on your specific meter font, which the docs cover but still takes iteration. If your meter is in a dark cupboard, budget for the LED illumination option and a USB power supply that can reach it. For someone already running Home Assistant and comfortable flashing firmware, this is a weekend well spent. For someone who has never touched an ESP32, expect a weekend-plus and a few false starts on the ROI setup.

NOT IN THE REPO

  • —3D printable housings for various meter types and mounting scenarios are in the repository.
  • —Bill of materials lists the ESP32-CAM board, SD card, power supply and optional illumination LEDs.
  • —Firmware is pre-compiled and flashable over USB; source is available for custom builds.
  • —Documentation covers installation, web interface configuration, ROI setup and integration with Home Assistant, MQTT and InfluxDB.
  • —The licence is a custom Dual Use License, not a standard open-source licence, and restricts commercial use without prior approval.
  • —No official video walkthrough exists; the good setup guides are community-made.

Can I build this?

PrintOne housing from the 3D_Printing folder, matched to your meter type and mounting situation. Most are small single-piece prints under three hours.
BuyESP32-CAM board (with OV2640 camera), microSD card (4GB minimum), USB-to-serial adapter for flashing, 5V power supply with micro-USB cable. Optional: white LEDs for illumination if the meter is poorly lit.
ToolsSoldering iron if adding LEDs, screwdriver for mounting, a computer with esptool or the web flasher, and a Home Assistant instance or MQTT broker to receive the readings.
SkillsFlashing ESP32 firmware over USB, configuring a web interface, setting ROI boxes on a live camera feed, and basic MQTT or Home Assistant integration. The ROI setup is the fiddly part and requires patience.
TimeA weekend if you have flashed ESP32 boards before and your meter is accessible. A weekend-plus if the mounting location is awkward or you are learning the ROI tool for the first time.
Cost$—dominated by the ESP32-CAM board (under ten euros) and the power supply. The SD card and USB adapter are a few euros more.
Safety5V DC throughout, no mains voltage in the device itself. If you are powering it from a mains adapter, standard plug-in power supply rules apply. Do not open or modify the utility meter.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

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Videos

Community walkthrough video. Not an official project channel.

Gallery

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the wiki page on choosing the right housing for your meter type (Meter housings vary widely; picking the wrong STL wastes a full print.)
  2. 2.Flash the firmware to the ESP32-CAM using the web flasher or esptool (The web flasher is the fastest route if you are on a supported browser.)
  3. 3.Mount the device, power it on, and connect to its Wi-Fi access point to configure your network(Initial setup happens over a temporary AP; once configured, it joins your home network.)
  4. 4.Use the web interface to set the ROI boxes around each digit on the live camera feed (This is the step that takes iteration. Start with the default model and refine.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

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KNOWN ISSUES

  • The licence is a custom Dual Use License that forbids commercial use without prior approval. If you are reading meters for anyone other than yourself, check the terms first.
  • ROI setup is fiddly and meter-specific. Budget an hour to get the boxes aligned and the recognition stable, even with good documentation.
  • Not all ESP32-CAM boards ship with the same camera module. The project is built around the OV2640; other sensors may not work without firmware changes.
  • If your meter is in a dark location, the optional LED illumination is not optional. The recognition fails in low light.
  • The device needs constant 5V power and Wi-Fi. If the meter is in a basement with no outlet or weak signal, solve that before you print anything.
  • There is no official YouTube channel. The good setup videos are community-made, and quality varies.

Does this work on digital meters?

No. It is designed for analogue meters with rotating dials or mechanical digits. If your meter already has a digital display with an optical or RF interface, this project is not the right tool.

Can I use this commercially, say to read meters for tenants?

Not without permission. The licence explicitly restricts commercial use. Contact the project maintainer if you need a commercial licence.

How accurate is the recognition?

The default model is trained on a wide variety of meters and achieves high accuracy once the ROI boxes are set correctly. You can retrain the model on your specific meter if needed.

What happens if the Wi-Fi goes down?

Readings are stored on the SD card and can be retrieved later via the web interface. The device continues to take photos and attempt recognition even offline.

Do I need to break the utility seal to install this?

No. The device mounts externally and only looks at the meter face. The meter itself is untouched.

Community builds

No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.

Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

Over 8,500 stars and the device costs less than ten euros—so the barrier is not the hardware. What stopped you the last time you looked at this: the ROI setup, the mounting location, or something else?

CompareeTEAM28d agoedited

We verified the repository, star count, and licence terms directly from the GitHub page. The project moved to active development under jomjol's account and remains there as of July 2026. The custom Dual Use License is clearly stated in the repository root, and it explicitly forbids commercial use without prior approval—this is not a standard open-source licence. There is no official YouTube channel; the walkthrough videos are community contributions, and we have linked one verified example. The cost figure (less than 10 EUR) comes from the project README and reflects the ESP32-CAM board and basic components; it does not include the power supply or optional LEDs. The repository includes STL files for housings, a full BOM, and a detailed wiki, so the missing piece is not documentation—it is the patience required to align the ROI boxes on your specific meter.

jomjol

Built by jomjol to digitise an analogue water meter without replacing it or involving the utility company. The project grew into a widely-used solution for gas and electricity meters as well, with an active community contributing housings and integration guides.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
GitHub repo