Scanned linear illumination of distant objects

A system for projecting a linear beam of light on a distant object, the system comprising:

• A laser diode bar having one or more laser diodes distributed along a common transverse axis, each of the one or more of laser diodes configured to emit a beam of light in an emission direction orthogonal to the transverse axis, the emitted beam diverging at a first divergence angle in a fast-axis direction orthogonal to both the transverse axis and the emission direction, and diverging in a slow-axis direction at a second divergence angle less than the first divergence angle, the slow-axis direction parallel to the transverse axis;
• a first cylindrical lens configured to collimate and/or focus, in a fast-axis direction, the beam of light emitted by each of the one or more laser diodes;
• and
• a second cylindrical lens configured to diverge, in a slow-axis direction, the beam of light emitted by each of the one or more of laser diodes such that the beams of light emitted by the one or more laser diodes overlap one another in the slow-axis direction.