Abstract: The present invention relates to a reactionless, constant scanning velocity laser scanner having a scanning mirror and a counter-rotating mass trading kinetic energy as the mirror collides with the counter rotating mass rotating in opposite direction to reverse the direction of rotation of the mirror. The scanning mirror is rotatably mounted in a frame and spaced from a rotatably mounted counterweight such that in each direction of rotation the mirror will collide with the counterweight moving in the opposite direction of rotation. The counterweight has spring means thereon positioned to bump against the mirror in one direction and then the other direction of rotation to repel the mirror to cause a back and forth scanning motion in the mirror. The counterweight is moved by an actuator which replaces energy lost during scanning.

Abstract: A multichannel laser radar has a laser array transmitter for generating a multiple laser beam array and a multichannel laser beam receiver for receiving reflected multiple laser beam array signals transmitted by said laser array transmitter. The multichannel laser beam receiver has a plurality of optical fibers coupled to a plurality of multichannel optical receiver photonic hybrid circuit boards for receiving reflected signals and processing the received signal range information and forming an image therefrom. Each circuit board has at least one detector assembly mounted thereon and each detector assembly has a plurality of photodetectors mounted to receive one end of each optical fiber so that a multichannel laser radar generates and receives multiple laser beams and parallel processes the received multiple laser beams to generate an image therefrom.