Methods, systems, and devices can determine spatial relationships between
a probe and a target surface. Specular reflections from the target
surface vary dramatically with small changes in angle between the
scanning beam and the target surface, and as the geometry of the beam
scanner and light detector of the probe are often known, and as the angle
of the light beam projected from a scanner for accurately generating an
image, the pattern of spectral light reflected from the light beam
directly back to the detector allows the distance between the probe and
the target surface, and/or the angular relationship between the probe and
the target surface, to be calculated.