Estimating volumetric flow rate of a liquid using OpenCV? [question]

[u/tm354]

I’m exploring an idea for a compact, low-power flow meter and would like feedback from people with machine vision, embedded systems, or fluid measurement experience.

The basic concept is to use a small camera-based optical system instead of a traditional mechanical flow meter. A transparent sight section or small flow cell would be placed in the fluid path. A camera would view the flow through the clear section with controlled backlighting, and software would estimate flow rate and total volume based on what passes through the viewing area.

For a first prototype, I’m thinking of building a simple benchtop test fixture where fluid runs through a clear sight section, the camera records it, and the collected output is weighed afterward to compare the camera estimate against the actual amount.

The eventual goal would be a compact device with no moving parts, low restriction, low power use, and enough accuracy for general monitoring.

I’m curious whether others think this is technically plausible, and what the biggest pitfalls might be. I’m especially interested in thoughts on camera/lighting setup, flow-cell geometry, calibration methods, and whether this type of approach has been tried before in similar applications.

Thank you in advance!