SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING COGNITIVE WORKLOAD AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY A SENSOR UTILIZED ON A VEHICLE

Systems and methods for imaging and ranging sensors that sense objects around a vehicle. In one example, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor including a plurality of microelectromechanical (MEMS) mirrors may be operated such that a functional field of view of the LIDAR sensor is adjusted by changing a number of MEMS mirrors that are operated to scan an external environment surrounding the vehicle. For example, one or more mirrors may be turned on or off depending on an intended vehicle path. In some examples, while all the MEMS mirrors are operated, overall processing of data may be reduced by using data acquired from the number of mirrors that scan the desired field of view.