DS1000 3D laser profiling system calibrates real-world units of measurement for inspections too difficult to perform with traditional two-dimensional machine vision. The sensor reads embossed or raised characters such as those on automobile tires, verifies the presence of low-contrast items in boxes or packages, identifies surface defects and chips with low or no contrast, measures heights and tilts of components to determine misalignment, and calculates volumes and dimensions for food portioning.