Abstract: A method for sensing a spatial coordinate of a point of an article, wherein a main coherent light field is formed in the area of the article and an approximate coordinate of a selected point of the article is found by means of an optical characteristic of this field. Simultaneously, a system of additional coherent light fields is formed in the area of the article, said light fields having periodic spatial and temporal modulation of illumination, and engaged in no interaction with the main coherent light field and between one another. The phase of each additional coherent light field in the selected point of the article is measured. Making use of the already obtained approximate coordinate of the selected point of the object and the measured phases, increasingly accurate coordinates of the selected point of the article are successively found. An apparatus for realizing the proposed method includes transmitting and receiving sections.

Abstract: A method is based on utilization of interference patterns for determining an increment of a third coordinate with two given coordinates. An interference pattern is produced on a surface under investigation whereupon one of interference bands is marked to obtain a zero reference band. The subsequent step is to determine the attitude of an interference extremum surface corresponding to said reference band. Thereafter the period of all extremums is distributed along the axis of the third coordinate and an increment of the third coordinate is determined relative to the surface of the zero band by adding up values of periods of surfaces corresponding to bands between the zero reference point and two predetermined reference points.A device for accomplishing the hereinproposed method comprises an optical system for producing an interference pattern, a photorecorder to record said pattern, a coordinate setting unit, and a unit for determining the number of the band of the recorded interference pattern.

Abstract: A device for obtaining a topographic picture of the surface of a rotating object comprising turret assembly mounting a pulsed laser, a photorecorder, an optical system for forming a set of light planes, and a system designed to synchronize a laser emission instant as the rotating object passes a preset point on its path, as well as a reflector arranged on the axis of rotation of the object. The pulse laser, the optical system for forming a set of light planes, and the turret assembly are installed coaxially with the axis of rotation of the object.