1. A system for differential wear mapping of the surface of an object, the system comprising: (a) a device for establishing a radioactive wearing surface on the object; (b) a first conformal radiation imaging device for producing a first autoradiograph providing a baseline profile of the wearing surface; (c) a second conformal radiation imaging device for producing a second autoradiograph providing a worn profile of the wearing surface; (d) a digitizer for establishing first and second data sets representing the first and second autoradiographs; and (e) a data processor for comparing the first and second data sets and establishing a differential data set, the differential data set characterizing a differential wear map of the surface of the object.