Methods of inspecting a 3d object using 2d image processing

An apparatus for measuring a height of a location on an object, comprising:

• at least one illumination source configured to output at least one line of radiation onto the object;
• at least one image capturing unit comprising at least one sensor and at least one camera configured to detect at least one line of radiation reflected from the object;
• and
• at least one processing unit configured to generate a two-dimensional height displacement map from the detected line of radiation, wherein the two-dimensional height displacement map comprises a plurality of spots;
• wherein all the processing unit processes the intensity of each spot of the plurality of spots as a gray-scale using a two-dimensional image processing technique to calculate the height of the object at that point;
• The height of the object is calculated by following formula:
• Object height=Height of sensor/(x cosine(90 degree−(laser angle+camera angle)))/cosine(laser angle),
• wherein height of sensor signifies the height to the y-location of the pixel with maximum intensity on the sensor;
• wherein x represents the x position on the two-dimensional height displacement map;
• wherein laser angle is angle between the laser beam and a line drawn from the object to be perpendicular to workstation;
• wherein camera angle is angle between a reflected ray and a line drawn from the object to be perpendicular to workstation;
• and
• wherein the reflected ray is at least one line of radiation reflected from the object.