Abstract: Rotating LIDAR systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A rotatable LIDAR system includes a rotor configured to rotate about a central rotational axis and multiple optical components mounted to the rotor such that the optical components are configured to rotate about the central rotational axis. The optical components include a first light source configured to emit first light towards a first portion of a field of view (FOV) with a first range, a first light detector configured to receive reflections of the first light from first objects in the first portion of the FOV, at least one second light source configured to emit second light towards a second portion of the FOV with a second range shorter than the first range, and a second light detector configured to receive reflections of the second light from second objects in the second portion of the FOV. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A LIDAR system includes a light source configured to generate a plurality of laser beams arranged in a beam pattern, a rotatable deflector configured to rotate about a scanning axis, a beam rotator configured to cause rotation of the beam pattern of the plurality of laser beams relative to the scanning axis of the rotatable deflector and at least one sensor configured to receive, via the rotatable deflector and the beam rotator, laser light resulting from one or more of the plurality of laser beams reflected from at least one object in the field of view of the LIDAR system wherein the multibeam array is maintained at a substantially fixed orientation with respect to the optical axis.