The disclosed embodiments include a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system. The LIDAR system includes a modular LIDAR device, which includes a scanner component and a structurally separate base component. The scanner component is mountable on an external surface of a vehicle, and includes a light source and detector to capture LIDAR data including a measure of a distance to an object relative to the vehicle. The scanner component also includes a communications transmitter to transmit LIDAR data indicative of the distance, and a power receiver to wirelessly power the scanner component. The base component is at least partially mountable on an interior surface of the vehicle, and includes a power transmitter to wirelessly power the scanner component, a communications receiver to wirelessly receive the LIDAR data, and a processor to enable autonomous or semi-autonomous navigation of the vehicle based on processed LIDAR data.