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Non-Contact Water Meter OCR:
How NexAscent Uses NE101 as the Field Capture Node
NexAscent selected CamThink NE101 to capture scheduled images of existing PUB water meters and upload them over 4G. NexAscent MeterOCR handles OCR processing, validation, and reporting.
Talk to Our TeamDeployment Background
About NexAscent
NexAscent is a Singapore-based IoT solution provider for smart building, facility management, and connected operations projects. Its MeterOCR workflow digitizes readings from existing water meters through image-based OCR.
* End-customer site details are withheld at NexAscent's request.
Project Challenge
Commercial and industrial buildings need more accurate water consumption data for ESG reporting, sustainability tracking, and operational efficiency. But PUB incoming water meters are difficult to retrofit because they cannot be replaced, modified, or physically contacted. The challenge was to create a non-invasive image capture layer that could reliably collect meter images from existing outdoor PUB meters and feed them into an OCR-based reporting workflow.
Scheduled meter image capture
4G LTE upload
NexAscent MeterOCR
Existing PUB meter unchanged
Deployment Hardware
NE101 provides the scheduled image capture and 4G transmission layer that NexAscent MeterOCR needs for OCR processing.
CamThink NeoEyes NE101
Field Image-Capture Node
- Non-contact image capture of existing PUB water meters
- Scheduled capture for repeatable OCR input
- 4G LTE upload without site network dependency
- Battery-powered deployment for field installation
- Image and metadata delivery into the MeterOCR workflow
Hardware Requirements for the Deployment
To meet PUB compliance and deliver reliable data for OCR processing, the hardware solution needed to address five key requirements.
Non-Contact Capture
Capture the meter display without attaching to or modifying the existing meter.
Scheduled Operation
Collect meter images at defined intervals for OCR processing.
Independent Connectivity
Upload images without relying on customer Wi-Fi, LAN, or gateway wiring.
OCR-Ready Image Quality
Provide consistent visual input for downstream OCR processing.
Integration-Friendly Transfer
Deliver images and related metadata into partner middleware through supported data transfer methods.
How NE101 Fits the MeterOCR Workflow
NE101 captures and transmits meter images. NexAscent MeterOCR processes them with OCR, validation, and reporting logic.
NE101 Scheduled capture
4G LTE Secure upload
MeterOCR
OCR Result +Source Image
Deployment View
Why This Integration Pattern Matters for System Integrators
The NexAscent deployment is a water meter use case, but the underlying pattern is broader: use a field image-capture node to collect scheduled visual evidence from existing physical assets, then send those images into the integrator’s own OCR, monitoring, or inspection workflow.
Add Visual Data Without Rebuilding the Asset
Many meters, gauges, counters, and panels are already installed in the field and cannot be replaced, modified, or connected directly. A non-contact capture node lets integrators add visual data collection around existing assets without changing the asset itself.
Use Images as Input for Your Own Workflow
Captured images and metadata can be sent into partner middleware, customer platforms, or OCR / AI pipelines. CamThink provides the field capture hardware, while integrators keep control of the processing logic and end-user application.
Adapt Connectivity to Site Conditions
This deployment used 4G LTE for independent upload. Other projects can evaluate LTE, Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi HaLow-based architectures depending on node density, gateway availability, and network constraints.
Pilot the Capture Layer Before Scaling
System integrators can validate image quality, capture interval, connectivity, and data delivery with a small deployment before expanding to more assets or sites. This helps de-risk OCR, monitoring, and inspection projects before full rollout.
Need Field Image Capture for Your Workflow?
For meter OCR, equipment monitoring, or visual inspection projects, NE101 can serve as the field image-capture layer for your existing workflow.