one C of old age , if it ’s potential at all . There are several independent technology that are on display in a holodeck , some of which we are closer to and some of which we are further away from .
The most obvious , of course , is the hologram themselves . They must be free standing and able-bodied to move around in a 3D space to match the requirement . We have basic holography engineering at the moment , but the way it work would be utterly useless in this context ; currently , it knead by recording how lite scattering off of an objective and then reconstruct that light by bounce a programmed laser off of a chop-chop rotating mirror .
That intend that the holograph is not free standing , can not easy move and is specify to pre - recorded images , none of which are egress for the holodeck . So we ’d need to fundamentally start again and take a whole new approach to holography to accomplish this .
The second significant while of engineering , and arguably the most ‘ insufferable ’ is the technology to make the holograms solid . I believe this is explained in the show as being some form of force - field , similar to the shields around the ship , but I could be ill-timed . Regardless , it would take something similar to that , that could move and be deformed anywhere in the room .
This is in spades in the realms of technology that is unimaginable to us how it could work . If it is potential at all , it is n’t engineering we ’re probable to see within the next hundred class . This is an iPhone , and we have n’t had Alexander Graham Bell yet . There is a potentiality , however , that the answer to this trouble could solve the late one , as it might tolerate projection onto these surfaces , or these surfaces themselves might be able-bodied to reflect light in the right mode .
There are two other pieces of technology on display within a holodeck that we do n’t have yet , but arguably are n’t necessary for the ‘ canonical ’ holodeck experience .
The first of these is very sophisticated A.I. , including speech recognition and the ability to adjudicate to safety of a situation . In the holodeck , the ‘ fiber ’ react seamlessly and in a very human like elbow room to the actions of the players , easily passing the Turing psychometric test and give every imprint of actual intelligence service .
This is something we ’re moving towards , however , and while we ’re a decent way off of the level we would require for a holodeck , we ’re probable to get there before we uprise some of the other pieces of technology needed .
As such , I do n’t really see this as being too much of a roadblock to the holodeck ’s growing . We also belike would n’t need it to be as good as it is on The Next Generation for it to be an enjoyable experience . It ’s probably the easygoing to develop , or at least the piece of technology we ’re close to have .
The 2d , and probably the most ‘ impossible ’ of all the technologies here , is the replicator technology on display . Within the holodeck , some small-scale item are n’t holograms , and are instead replicated , creating veridical versions of the particular . This has been demonstrated by a character use up an apple , or similar . This is done , I believe , just to bestow that little extra stratum of intractability , where even the advanced holographical technology could n’t recreate the experience .
Tea . Earl Grey . Hot .
Again , this is technology that we can not even suppose how it might play , and is at the level of appear wizardly to us . We have not achieved anything that we intend of as being a beginning on the road to this technology . It might even violate some laws of physics as we understand them today , and as such is likely something that is hundreds to thousands of age in the time to come . fortuitously for us , it is n’t strictly needed for a holodeck , though it does improve the experience .
About the author : Matt Sutton , I have pass too much time call up about Star Trek
Technologically , how far away are we from create a “ holodeck ” ala “ Star Trek : The Next Generation”?originally appeared onQuora . you’re able to follow Quora onTwitter , Facebook , andGoogle+ .
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