1. A method comprising: causing a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device associated with an autonomous vehicle to scan through a scanning zone while emitting light pulses based on a structured light pattern; determining a three-dimensional (3-D) point map of the scanning zone based on time delays between emitting the light pulses and receiving corresponding returning reflected signals, based on orientations of the LIDAR device while emitting the light pulses, and further based on distortions in the returning reflected signals compared to the structured light pattern; imaging, with a hyperspectral sensor associated with the autonomous vehicle, a region of the scanning zone corresponding to a plurality of reflective features indicated by the 3-D point map so as to generate spectral information characterizing a spectral distribution of radiation received from the reflective features; correlating the spectral distribution of radiation received from a first reflective feature with one or more spectral characteristics of carbon monoxide; in response to the correlating, determining the first reflective feature does not include a solid material; analyzing the spectral information to determine whether a remainder of the reflective features includes a solid material; combining information from the LIDAR device and the hyperspectral sensor to generate a map of solid objects in the scanning zone, wherein reflective features determined to not include a solid material are not included in the map; analyzing the positions of the solid objects in the map to identify obstacles relative to a current path of the autonomous vehicle; determining a modified path of the autonomous vehicle that avoids the identified obstacles; and controlling the autonomous vehicle to navigate along the modified path.