Unlike traditional 2D machine vision, the DS1000 laser profiler provides a topographical representation of your part from which you can measure 3D features such as length, width, height, tilt or volume relative to any surface. It also simplifies challenging OCR or presence/absence applications by creating contrast from height changes, independent of color. http://www.cognex.com/3D-displacement-sensor-laser-profiler.aspx&cm_campid=CBE3862F-9518-E211-AE9B-5EF3FCDAF1B7