A vision-cued random-access LIDAR system and method which determines the location and/or navigation path of a moving platform. A vision system on a moving platform identifies a region of interest. The system classifies objects within the region of interest, and directs random-access LIDAR to ping one or more of the classified objects. The platform is located in three dimensions using data from the vision system and LIDAR. The steps of classifying, directing, and locating are preferably performed continuously while the platform is moving and/or the vision system's field-of-view (FOV) is changing. Objects are preferably classified using at least one smart-vision algorithm, such as a machine-learning algorithm.