The main objective of this project is the development of a low cost laser scanning system for the detection of surface defects The inspection system is based on a laser sensor, power supply unit and an X-Y table All of these components are interfaced with a personal computer The system developed is capable of measuring surface defects within the range of greater than or equal to 1mm For the experiments carried out it was intended to assess the sensors measuring ability under certain headings The two main headings covered were accuracy and repeatability Other important subjects included examining the measuring limits of the system, examining the effect of using materials of different reflection abilities, and the possible cause of errors in the system.