The Basics of Triangulation Sensors

riangulation sensors fall into the general category of noncontact height or range measurement devices. A triangulation sensor may provide the same information as a linear variable differential transformer or contact probe, but without touching the object to be measured. The sensors work by projecting a beam of light onto the object of interest and calculating the distance from a reference point by determining where the reflected light falls on a detector (see Figure 1). As the point of light falling on the object moves closer to or farther from the reference point, the spot position on the detector changes. Sensor Types Triangulation sensors are either diffuse or specular. The need for two types of sensors arises from differing reflectance characteristics of materials