The method of triangulation, in which distances between two points are determined by trigonometric calculations in a triangle, is ideally suited to precise shape and surface measurements. The new 3D snapshot sensor from Micro-Epsilon sets new standards in terms of precision.
Geometric triangulation has its origin as a method in geodesy. As early as the Middle Ages, land surveyors covered entire states with triangular nets to determine areas and distances. High-precision distance measurement with optical triangulation is based on a similar principle: a point of light is projected onto a surface and simultaneously received by a sensor line at a defined angular offset. With the fixed distance between projector and sensor line as well as the position of the point on the sensor line, the distance between sensor and surface can be determined very precisely by simple trigonometry.
