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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
M
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Standard product warranty period 1 year    
Deposit with financial institutions maturities period, months 3faro_DepositWithFinancialInstitutionsMaturitiesPeriod    
Deposits with foreign Banks $ 58,900,000us-gaap_DepositsAssets $ 66,900,000us-gaap_DepositsAssets  
Shelf life demonstration inventory, months 12 months    
Percentage of FIFO Inventory 100.00%us-gaap_PercentageOfFIFOInventory    
Depreciation expense 6,171,000us-gaap_Depreciation 5,825,000us-gaap_Depreciation 5,769,000us-gaap_Depreciation
Goodwill impairment loss 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
Indefinite -lived intangible assets 0us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill    
Weighted average amortization period for intangible asset 9 years    
Income tax expense benefit 3,873,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 7,353,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 7,944,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Uncertain Tax Position      
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Income tax expense benefit 0us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= faro_ChangeInUncertainTaxPositionMember		    
Long Lived Assets      
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Assets impairment charges $ 0us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
/ us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis
= faro_LongLivedAssetsMember		 $ 0us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
/ us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis
= faro_LongLivedAssetsMember		 $ 0us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
/ us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis
= faro_LongLivedAssetsMember
Minimum      
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Trade receivable time period due 30 days    
Other intangible assets, useful life 3 years    
Valuation allowance, net deferred tax assets criterion, years 2faro_ValuationAllowanceForNetDeferredTaxAssetsCriterion
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember		    
Minimum | Product technology and patents      
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Other intangible assets, useful life 17 years    
Maximum      
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Trade receivable time period due 90 days    
Other intangible assets, useful life 20 years    
Maximum | Product technology and patents      
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Other intangible assets, useful life 20 years