The LIDAR Echo Emulator (LEE) emulates the returned signals from a Lidar system. As the return signal of a Lidar system depends on the target, this implies the capability of shaping the laser’s returns. In brief, a long echo corresponds to a natural or diffusive object (canopy, clouds) and short echoes to a complex thing like roofs, ground, etc. Such signals must be simulated to study and validate new detectors and detection systems without developing/procuring the entire Lidar system.