METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR THE OPTICAL DETECTION OF A CONTRAST LINE

A method is provided for the optical detection of a contrast line in which the area or spatial coordinates of the contrast line are detected, with the detection being performed by a scanner, preferably a laser scanner, which scans the contrast line in a linear manner. An apparatus is also provided for the optical detection of a contrast line having a laser diode, a deflection apparatus for the deflection of the laser beam emitted from the laser diode and having a detector for the detection of the reflected beams, with the deflection apparatus being designed movably such that the laser beam emitted from the laser diode can be shifted in parallel by an amount depending upon position of the deflection apparatus and where the spatial coordinates of the contrast line can be detected by analyzing the beams detected by the detector. A numerically controlled machine is further provided, in particular a machine tool, a robot or a coordinate measuring machine, which possesses the apparatus for optically detecting a contrast line. A hand-held device is also provided which possesses the apparatus for optically detecting a contrast line.