Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system

1. A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for an autonomous vehicle, the LIDAR system comprising:

an emitter comprising a light source and a first lens that is coupled to a second lens positioned along a transmit path, the light source configured to emit a primary laser beam through the first lens then the second lens in the transmit path to provide a transmit beam towards a far-field associated with the LIDAR system;

a receiver spaced apart from the emitter, the receiver comprising one or more lenses positioned along a receive path such that the one or more lenses of the receiver receive a reflected laser beam; and

an optical element positioned along the transmit path, the optical element configured to direct a portion of the primary laser beam in a direction towards the receive path as a secondary laser beam that is emitted towards a near-field associated with the LIDAR system;

wherein the first lens in the transmit path comprises a fast-axis collimation lens, the second lens in the transmit path comprises a slow-axis collimation lens, and the optical element forms at least a portion of the fast-axis collimation lens or the slow-axis collimation lens; and

wherein the primary laser beam is emitted towards the far-field at a first angular range relative to the autonomous vehicle simultaneously with the secondary laser beam being emitted towards the near-field at a second angular range relative to the autonomous vehicle, wherein the first angular range is smaller than the second angular range.

2. The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein an energy associated with the secondary laser beam comprises about 5 percent or less of a total energy of the primary laser beam.

3. The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein a divergence angle associated with the secondary laser beam is in a range from about 2 degrees to about 30 degrees.

4. The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein a divergence angle associated with the transmit beam is less than about 0.5 degrees.

5. The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein the optical element forms at least a portion of the first lens or the second lens in the transmit path.

6. The LIDAR system of claim 5 , wherein:

the optical element forms at least a portion of the fast-axis collimation lens.

7. The LIDAR system of claim 5 , wherein the first lens or the second lens in the transmit path comprise a bifocal lens.

8. The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein:

the optical element forms at least a portion of the slow-axis collimation lens.

9. The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein the optical element comprises a diffuser that forms at least a portion of the first lens or the second lens in the transmit path.

10. The LIDAR system of claim 9 , wherein the diffuser is disposed on a surface of the first lens or the second lens.

11. The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein the optical element comprises a divergence lens positioned sequentially in the transmit path between the first lens and the second lens.

12. The LIDAR system of claim 1 , wherein the far-field associated with the LIDAR system corresponds to an area that is greater than about 10 meters in front of the receiver, and wherein the near-field associated with the LIDAR system corresponds to an area ranging from about 5 meters in front of the receiver to about 10 meters in front of the receiver.

13. An autonomous vehicle comprising:

a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system coupled to a vehicle body of the autonomous vehicle, the LIDAR system comprising:

an emitter comprising a light source and a first lens that is coupled to a second lens positioned along a transmit path, the light source configured to emit a primary laser beam through the first lens then the second lens in the transmit path to provide a transmit beam towards a far-field associated with the LIDAR system;

a receiver spaced apart from the emitter, the receiver comprising one or more lenses positioned along a receive path such that the one or more lenses of the receiver receive a reflected laser beam; and

an optical element positioned along the transmit path, the optical element configured to direct a portion of the primary laser beam in a direction towards the receive path as a secondary laser beam that is emitted towards a near-field associated with the LIDAR system;

wherein the first lens in the transmit path comprises a fast-axis collimation lens, the second lens in the transmit path comprises a slow-axis collimation lens, and the optical element forms at least a portion of the fast-axis collimation lens or the slow-axis collimation lens; and

wherein the primary laser beam is emitted towards the far-field at a first angular range relative to the autonomous vehicle simultaneously with the secondary laser beam being emitted towards the near-field at a second angular range relative to the autonomous vehicle, wherein the first angular range is smaller than the second angular range.

14. The autonomous vehicle of claim 13 , wherein a divergence angle associated with the secondary laser beam is in a range from about 2 degrees to about 30 degrees.

15. The autonomous vehicle of claim 14 , wherein a divergence angle associated with the primary laser beam is less than about 0.5 degrees.

16. The autonomous vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the optical element forums at least a portion of the first lens or the second lens of the emitter.

17. The autonomous vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the optical element comprises a diffuser that forms at least a portion of the first lens or the second lens in the transmit path.

18. The autonomous vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media that store instructions for execution by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

obtaining sensor data via the LIDAR system, the sensor data being indicative of an object within a near-field associated with the LIDAR system;

determining perception data for the object within the near-field associated with the LIDAR system based at least in part on the sensor data;

determining one or more future locations of the object based at least in part on the perception data for the object within the near-field associated with the LIDAR system; and

determining an action for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the one or more future locations of the object within the near-field associated with the LIDAR system.

19. A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for an autonomous vehicle, the LIDAR system comprising an emitter and a receiver spaced apart from the emitter, the method comprising:

emitting, via the emitter, a primary laser beam through a first lens then a second lens disposed along a transmit path to provide a transmit beam towards a far-field associated with the LIDAR system;

directing, via an optical element disposed along the transmit path, a portion of the primary laser beam as a secondary laser beam towards a receive path associated with the receiver of the LIDAR system and to a near-field associated with the LIDAR system, wherein the primary laser beam is emitted towards the far-field at a first angular range relative to the autonomous vehicle simultaneously with the secondary laser beam being emitted towards the near-field at a second angular range relative to the autonomous vehicle, wherein the first angular range is smaller than the second angular range;

wherein the first lens in the transmit path comprises a fast-axis collimation lens, the second lens in the transmit path comprises a slow-axis collimation lens, and the optical element forms at least a portion of the fast-axis collimation lens or the slow-axis collimation lens; and

receiving, via one or more lenses of the receiver, a reflected laser beam; and

generating, via a detector of the receiver, a point cloud based, at least in part, on data associated with the reflected laser beam.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein an energy associated with the secondary laser beam comprises about 5 percent or less of a total energy of the primary laser beam.