OBJECT DETECTOR, MOBILE OBJECT, AND OBJECT DETECTION METHOD

An object detector (100) includes a light source system (11 and 12) including a light emitter (11) to emit light; an optical system (20 and 30) disposed in an optical path of the light emitted from the light emitter (11); a light detection system (41, 42, and 44) including a light receiver (42) to receive the light reflected or scattered from an object in a projection range; and a control system (46) to detect information regarding the object based on the light received by the light detection system (41, 42, and 44). The optical system is configured to generate a first optical path to guide at least some light rays of the light to a projection range and a second optical path to guide at least some other light rays of the light to the light detection system (41, 42, and 44) without guiding the at least some other light rays to the projection range. When the light detection system (41, 42, and 44) includes a plurality of light detection systems, the second optical path guides the at least some other light rays of the light to a light receiver of each of at least two of the plurality of light detection systems. When the light source system (11 and 12) includes a plurality of light source systems, the second optical path guides the at least some other light rays of light emitted from a light emitter of each of at least two of the plurality of light source systems to the light receiver of the light detection system.