Triangulation sensor

A light transmitter (12) transmits light signal (24) into detection zone (22). A light receiver (14) has several receiver elements to receive light (25,28,30) diffusely and/or specularly reflected from detection zone. A reception optics (18) between detection zone and light receiver has multisegmented lens element having several lens segments with optical axes spaced apart from one another in triangulation direction (46). The position of light spot produced on receiver in triangulation direction by reflected light results in dependence on distance of object (20).