Three-dimensional scanner utilizing moving frame with detectors

A three-dimensional scanning apparatus for detecting a three-dimensional shape of an object placed in a measurement space in a non-contact manner, comprising:

• a moving frame disposed around said measurement space so as to surround a predetermined axis passing through a center of said measurement space, said moving frame arranged to be movable in a direction of said predetermined axis;
• at least four sensors for measuring distances to surfaces of different portions of said object, said sensors being positioned along a circumferential direction on said moving frame so that a plurality of said at least four sensors are located mainly in each predetermined region on two opposite sides of said moving frame, each of said at least four sensors measures a distance to said object by detecting scattered or reflected light from said object;
• a driving mechanism for moving said moving frame in a direction of said predetermined axis;
• a position detector for detecting and outputting a position of said moving frame in the direction of said axis;
• and
• an analyzer for calculating data of said distance from each of said at least four sensors to a surface of said object at each moving position of said moving frame, based on outputs from each of said at least four sensors and said position detector, and for analyzing a three-dimensional shape of the surface of said object, based on the data of said distances
• wherein optic axes of respective ones of said at least four sensors intersect at different points on a projection surface.