OMC Technical Brief - Single point optical triangulation Single point optical triangulation is an easy to use method of measuring distances to objects without touching them and requires little operator knowledge or supervision. What does it do? Measure distance with accuracy from a few microns to a few millimetres, over a range of a few millimetres to tens of metres, at a rate of 100 to 60,000 times per second Why use this technique? Single point optical triangulation instruments Geometry of Optical Triangulation provide distance information quickly and easily without touching the object being measured A light source illuminates a point on an object (typically a Laser or LED), an image of this light Typical objects measured: spot is then formed on the sensor surface, as the object is moved the image moves along the • manufactured goods sensor, by measuring the location of the light • tyre treads spot image the distance of the object from the • archaeological artefacts instrument can be determined provided the • turbine blades baseline length and the angles are known • coins • printed circuit boards The most important component in the optical • road surfaces triangulation system is the sensor. There are two • pipes found in sewers, process industry, types. The Position Sensitive Detector (PSD) and tunnels, and ships the Charged Coupled Device (CCD) the PSD is often chosen for devices measuring over a small ...