SCANNING WIDE-AREA SURFACE SHAPE ANALYZER

A scanning wide-area surface shape analyzer drastically shortens a time period required for measuring the surface shape of a surface to be inspected. A scanner moves the measuring head in parallel with a flat surface for the measuring head to acquire the measured image data. An attitude-varying mechanism varies the acquisition attitude of the measuring head for acquiring the measured image data. An image processing control device analyzes and calculates the surface shape of an acquisition area corresponding to the acquisition position and in the acquisition attitude. The image processing control device controls driving of the scanner and the attitude-varying mechanism, calculates the next acquisition position by using measured image data acquired at the present acquisition position and in the present acquisition attitude, and calculates an acquisition attitude to be taken at the calculated next acquisition position.