A laser scanner using linear array scanning for fast threedimentional imaging is introduced.Both the system structure and operational principle are presented.Based on the analysis of the emitting and receiving path of the laser beam,the rigorous imaging equations of the laser scanner is deduced starting from one unit of the array detector by means of the optical principles and analytic geometry knowledge.The main internal and external fators undermining the imaging quality of laser scanner are also discussed.The outfield test shows that in the distance of 30 m the vertical resolution of the instrument is 5 cm,while in the direction perpendicular to that of ranging targets with diameter can be detected bigger than 8 cm,and that the standard error of residuals in the fitted plane is about 5 cm.