The UC Berkeley Library version of the scanning machine. The machine is shown loaded with three cylinders. During a scan the probe begins at the left and is moved to the right in 1.8mm steps using precision motion controls. Because the probe is all the way to the right in this image, it is shown at the end of a scan. The black table is "floating" on pneumatic isolators that keep a layer of air between the workbench and the white table underneath. This prevents small vibrations, even those which may not be palpable or perceptible to humans, from vibrating the system and effecting measurements.
The UC Berkeley scanning machine without wax cylinders loaded. The beige cylinders on the shaft are locator plugs which slide into the cylinders while they are being scanned, to support them and keep them in place.