1. An omni-directional digital image capturing and processing system for use in a POS environment, comprising: a system housing having horizontal and vertical housing sections; wherein said horizontal housing section has a horizontal imaging window, and contains a first plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations, for generating and projecting a first group of coplanar illumination and imaging planes through said horizontal imaging window; and a vertical housing section has a vertical imaging window, and contains a second plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations for generating and projecting second group of coplanar illumination and imaging planes through said vertical imaging window, which intersects with said first complex of coplanar illumination and imaging planes within a 3D imaging volume definable relative to said horizontal and vertical imaging windows, so as to generate a complex of coplanar illumination and imaging planes within said 3D imaging volume, capable of omni-directional imaging of each object passing through said 3D imaging volume, and generating digital linear images of said object as said object intersects coplanar illumination and imaging planes within said 3D imaging volume during system operation.