The holodeck, a place where you can recreate any environment, is one of those signature pieces of Star Trek technology, like warp drive and transporters. Now a group of companies is working to make something like the holodeck a reality, with some help from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s son.
Making a real holodeck
Roddenberry Entertainment, owned by Rod Roddenberry, son of Gene Roddenberry, is teaming up with a number of technology companies working to make the Star Trek holodeck a reality. The partnership will leverage Light Field Lab’s revolutionary headgear-free holographic displays and OTOY’s ORBX Technology, the industry’s first open source and royalty-free format for rendering media and real-time graphics on Light Field Lab’s holographic display panels.
Original holographic content for the new system is in active development, spearheaded by Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor, and Rod Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, and also an executive producer on Star Trek: Discovery.
“The concept of the Holodeck was extremely important to my father as well as the Star Trek Universe,” said Rod Roddenberry about his late father, Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek. “I want to see Star Trek’s technologies made real, and for the very first time, now believe that a real Holodeck is no longer limited to science fiction. Although it’s early days, my father would be beyond excited to know his vision is coming into reality thanks to OTOY’s trailblazing light field rendering, and the revolutionary holographic display systems created at Light Field Lab.”
We’re excited to use this platform to bring true holographic content to Light Field Lab’s displays, which will give consumers unbelievable experiences, without the burden of 3D glasses or VR headsets,” said Emanuel.
Light Field Lab’s initial prototype modules will scale to form larger holographic video walls with hundreds of gigapixels of light field resolution setting the standard for fully immersive holographic experiences. OTOY’s blockchain GPU compute network (RNDR) will provide the scale to make rendering holographic content for these experiences widely available for the first time. Light Field Lab started demonstrating holographic prototypes with OTOY-rendered content earlier this year to leading industry stakeholders including Endeavor, Roddenberry Entertainment and Richard Kerris, former CTO of Lucasfilm and Advisor to OTOY.
Both Light Field Lab and OTOY have committed to bringing these experiences to professional and consumer markets, alongside an end-to-end content creation and distribution ecosystem, with the ultimate shared vision to enable the Star Trek Holodeck. Endeavor-backed holographic experiences will be exhibited in a slate of upcoming projects and campaigns.
For more info, visit lightfieldlab.com.
What was shown on Star Trek is a long, long way aways. Anything done now would basically be a 3D image, there’d be no ability to interact simply because force fields are still limited to the realm of scifi at this point.
Something I always wondered about the holosuites on DS9, it was always implied there was some naughty stuff going on. Who got to clean up the mess after the ‘Orgy on Risa’ program was done?
We’ve got 250 years!
250 years ago…. in 1768… What did we have? Case in Point.
What are 250 Years? that’s like 2,5 humans away with a lifespan approaching 100 years. That’s nothing. 3,5 humans away the US was discovered.
Actually less. A lot of scientists think that young humans today will be around when life extension technology will start to become available which will let them live longer. Meaning they are still around when even better life extension technology comes around.. then life revering technology. Basically a snowball effect.
Well, if people don’t die anymore we better also find a way to leave this rock behind. Or people also stop having babies.
Holosuites are basically simulated brothels. They can be used as regular holodecks but Quark was clearly mostly using them to sell sex for travelers.
And I always assumed Rom was suppose to do all the holosuite ‘clean up’ duties. ;)
Tiger2
LOL
I think you’re right about Rom. Another possibility is an automated clean-up routine that vaporizes any real matter in the holodeck and sucks it away. But, that would seem like a dangerous feature almost certain to cause problems at some point (like being hot-wired to turn on while people are still in the holodeck thereby vaporizing them).
Cygnus-X1,
Re: dangerous feature
You say that as if the holotech hasn’t already, on numerous occasions, demonstrated more than a few “dangerous” features?
The holodeck replicators just recycle any mess.
Does this Pina Colada taste funny to you?
Ha! Excellent.
What’s to cleanup? I thought even though it primarily relied on force projections, Trek holo tech was able to consume and reconfigure matter for storage for current or future use in its creations?
Although, must confess, I’m puzzled why many players often felt compelled to get into costume before entering?
Getting stripped naked by Quark at the holosuite costume transporter just invited way to many opportunities for blackmail….
Disinvited
What’s to cleanup?
Do we really need to spell this out? It rhymes with “bee jack blue station.” The real people in the holodeck are composed of (and expel) real matter.
I’m puzzled why many players often felt compelled to get into costume before entering?
Because if they don’t, then they have to walk to the holodeck naked, and then walk back to their quarters naked afterward.
Cygnus,
I’m not sure where you got the impression the holodecks lack access to the ship’s replication resources? Surely you realize the numerous maladies human players would suffer if all the food consumed in there suddenly disappeared from their bodies on exit?
This was most obvious when VOYAGER’s Hirogen turned the entire ship into a holodeck.
While for the most part, the holodecks use fake matter which it can impart with such realistic properties as to be deadly threats to real beings, there are somethings for which living beings simply can accept no substitutes. And if it can provide some real things, what’s so impossible about clothing that doesn’t dissolve on exit which even their showers can do?
Disinvited
I’m not sure where you got the impression the holodecks lack access to the ship’s replication resources?
From the way it’s portrayed. Look at that photo of the holodeck up there. It’s an empty room with a grid and literally nothing else. No replicators. Besides, combining real, replicated matter with holographic matter, each being indistinguishable from the other, seems like it would produce any number of unintended consequences.
Cygnus-X1,
Re: no replicators
On what basis are you building this conclusion that you can distinguish between holo and replicator emitters on the holodecks and clearly only the one type is visible?
Disinvited
If any of those emitters created real matter in the holodeck, we’d see the real matter on the floor after the program ended. But, that never happens. Also, the holograms in the holodeck consistently change as people walk around the holographic environment. If any of those holograms were made of real matter, they obviously wouldn’t be able to change in accordance with the changing scenery. Pretty soon, the holodeck would be cluttered with real objects that didn’t conform to what the environment was supposed to be at any particular point of the program.
Cygnus-X1,
From VOYAGER’s BRIDE OF CHAOTICA, proof of transporter access and that it can be used to remove matter from the holodeck:
[Holodeck – Proton’s ship]
PARIS: It’s no use. I can’t disengage the programme.
KIM: Well, you better think of something fast, Proton. A second distortion just appeared. Whatever they are, they’re getting bigger.
PARIS: Hold on. I’ve got access to the transporter. I’m going to try a site to site.
KIM: There’s a third one.
(Paris beams himself and Kim into a corridor.)
Disinvited
That’s an example a portrayal of the transporter, which was often portrayed in TNG onward as being able to operate throughout the ship. We never see garbage being transported out of the holodeck as part of regular maintenance.
Disinvited
Let me save you some trouble. Unless you’ve got direct evidence of real matter being a regular component of holodeck programs — such as crew members saying that holodeck programs are composed in part of real matter, or that garbage from holodeck programs is left behind (after the program has ended) to be disposed of, I’m probably not going to be persuaded by your argument.
Cygnus-X1
Re: Our lying eyes
Likewise, I’m not persuaded by your argument that what we see or Don’t see in the illusion room must be how it is “really” functioning.
Cygnus-X1,
Re: As you wish
Further evidence that the holotech has a far more intimate relationship with the transporters than is dreamt of in you philosophy, from DS9’s OUR MAN BASHIR:
Ops]
EDDINGTON: Doctor, whatever you do, don’t end that programme.
[Holosuite – Bashir’s apartment]
BASHIR: Why not?
EDDINGTON [OC]: There’s been a transporter accident.
[Ops]
EDDINGTON: We believe the holosuite memory core is holding the transporter patterns of five crewmembers. If you stop the programme, their patterns
[Holosuite – Bashir’s apartment]
EDDINGTON [OC]: Might be lost.
BASHIR: How could that happen?
EDDINGTON [OC]: It’s a long story.
[Ops]
EDDINGTON: But at this moment the patterns of Captain Sisko, Kira, Worf, Dax and O’Brien exist only in the holosuite database.
ODO: Don’t leave the holosuite. If you do, it might disrupt the holo-imaging array and right now we can’t take any chances. You’ll have to stay in there and keep the programme running for now.
Cygnus-X1,
Regardless, of your attempt to split hairs on this, review my past posts. I asserted the holodeck had assess to the ship’s other systems and mentioned SHIP IN A BOTTLE and VOY’s Hirogen building it out to the entire ship.
And I’ve patiently tried to point out several times the whole point of it is to make things appear to be functioning in a certain way which in reality isn’t what’s going on, so you can’t keep claiming that what we see or don’t see in there is what it is actually doing in regards to functioning when almost the whole point of every holodeck based story is the holodeck’s AI has access to the entire ship to call upon in attempting to create the fictional stories that it’s users demand of it, and not seeing the details of how it accomplishes what it makes appear to be is the whole point of the exercise.
Disinvited
I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.
The characters consistently refer to holodeck objects as being made of photons and force-fields and not real matter. The visual portrayal of the holodeck comports with the characters’ description of it — holodeck objects disappear instantly when the program ends, as opposed to taking a few seconds to disintegrate, as transported objects are portrayed. On a few occasions, objects have been transported into the holodeck, but this is referred to and portrayed visually as a feature of the transporter, which is portrayed as working throughout the ship; it’s not referred to nor portrayed as the holodeck using real matter in executing programs. There are several aberrations (like the snowball) relating to the holodeck, which I mentioned above. But, these aberrations are never explained as being resultant of the holodeck using real matter. Rather, they seem like oversights. It’s possible that the holodeck might use some real matter, such as water, in its programs, which would explain the snowball. And yet we never see lakes being disintegrated as though they’re made of real matter. Rather, they simply vanish like holograms do. It would make sense for the food on the holodeck to be made of real matter. And, yet, the characters only ever say that holodeck objects are made of photons and force-fields. Even the food on the holodeck vanishes instantly. Thus I’m left with the impression that the holodeck is what the characters say that it is, and the aberrations are oversights.
Cygnus-X1,
OK but FWIW here’s what CBS has to say about it which is fairly much the tack I was on:
http://www.startrek.com/database_article/holodeck
Cygnus-X1,
Look, even if you want to deny the ability of the holodeck to provide edible real matter, surely you can’t deny it has control over forces and energies that would allow it to cleanup any “real” messes left behind by the users.
I mean surely you see that even in a overly simplistic solution, it has the ability to materialize a cleanup crew and incinerate trash.
Disinvited
Where would the clean-up crew dispose of the trash in that totally empty room with no compartments? The only door is the entrance/exit door, and we never see a holographic janitor taking the trash out through there. When the holodeck is turned off, everything in it simply vanishes. Presumably because it’s all holographic.
Cygnus-X1,
You are forgetting that the holodeck has the complete ability to make things appear that way when in fact other things hidden to the users are going on (see:SHIP IN A BOTTLE)
Disinvited
You’re referring to the “arch,” I think. Apparently that’s a holographic control panel that can appear and disappear on command. That’s not the same thing as like a trash compactor built permanently into the room, or a garbage chute leading out of the room. If there is a trash compactor or a garbage chute, they’ve never been shown to us. So, we have no particular reason to assume that holodecks have such features.
Phil
Who got to clean up the mess after the ‘Orgy on Risa’ program was done?
I’ve wondered that, too. And the impression I get is that the majority of programs run in Quark’s holosuites are sex-related. But, there have been a number of logic errors since TNG in how the holodeck is portrayed. I think it’s the TNG pilot where Wesley is having a snowball fight with someone in the holodeck, and a snowball flies out into the corridor to hit Picard in the chest.
I have often wondered…. If holodeck stuff vanishes outside the room (except for the afore mentioned snowball, if you eat something in the holodeck, what happens when you walk out? Does the matter you ingested suddenly vanish?
And I always felt that the “safety protocols” should NOT be something that anyone could just turn “off”. The thing should be built so that no one could ever get hurt to begin with. I guess they don’t have lawyers in the 24th century. Hence, no Starfleet JAG show. ;)
For the record, Trek first used the concept in TAS. The episode “The Practical Joker” specifically. They called it the Rec Room then.
Holodeck food poisoning would be a tough one to explain….do holodeck farts smell like roses?
Phil
Yeah, they really shouldn’t be able to eat anything created by the holodeck. Or, if they do eat it, it should taste only like photons and electrons. Though, if it causes flatulence, the gas could smell like whatever was in the person’s intestines prior to entering the holodeck, i.e. stomach bacteria mixed with beer farts and so forth.
Phil,
If they can eat snowballs, I don’t see why the holotech can’t provide other real edible substances as prudently required?
I can only imagine many hypoglycemic deaths on exit for people foolish enough to eat in the holodecks and suites if it is otherwise. And for many, food and sex go together like mac and cheese.
ML31
Ha – exactly.
Cygnus-X1,
RE: Snowball
So then you did know the holo tech can have recourse to the replicators? Now I am seriously confused why you were so obtuse about that it should be able to provide appropriate clothing on ingress and egress?
Disinvited
Excepting certain instances which I believe are oversights, the TNG holodeck (if not also those in the other series) is portrayed as being unable to produce real matter that remains integrated upon leaving the holodeck. The two Moriarty episodes were specifically premised upon the impermanence of holodeck matter and its inability to exist outside of the holodeck. Season 1’s “The Big Goodbye” also showed us the impermanence of holodeck matter in its finale, as Cyrus Redblock disintegrates upon leaving. And, I’m sure numerous other examples from other episodes can be found. If the holodeck used real, replicated matter, it would be left strewn on the floor after each program ended.
Cygnus-X1,
Re: The Heart of the Matter
Actually, I believe the crux of the Moriarty problem was the holotech, like the replicators, were never able to make LIVING matter. It has always been suggested that most of the things that pass for “living” creations physically interacted with by real beings on holodecks are non-living but edible cellulose or protein (see:food replicators) “puppets”.
As for your suggestion that the holodeck’s AI could not keep track of real matter it created, then how, pray tell, does it keep track of all the real matter people and the various real matter objects that they enter with?
And let’s be clear, I’m not saying the holoAI running things uses replicated inanimate matter for everything–only that it has recourse to it as the situation calls for such as eating.
Disinvited
…how, pray tell, does it keep track of all the real matter people and the various real matter objects that they enter with?
It’s not a question of tracking people and the real matter that they enter the holodeck with. It’s that there’s never any real matter strewn on the floor after after the program ends. Because it’s all holographic.
Cygnus,
Re: replicators
No, you are just confused about the fact that the replicators employ technology similar to the transporters that allow them to disassemble simple, I.e. non-biological, matter for repurposing.
Look, it has never been disputed that the holodecks provide edible real matter for consumption when real people eat in there. I’m just saying that even if you insist there’s some sort of restriction on its replicators such that only that kind of real matter can be produced that humans have been making suitable clothing out-of cellulose and protein based materials for millennia. Surely the holoAI could come up with some clothing appropriate for exit.
And again, I remind you that water is consumable by living players which is why it can exit the holodecks and bean Picard in the form of a snowball.
Disinvited
I suppose it’s possible, but my memory is that whenever someone refers to objects in the holodeck it’s always a reference to them as merely photons and force-fields. They never say it’s real matter. There’s also never been a reference to the holodeck emitters acting as transporters and beaming real matter away for re-purposing. And when programs are ended, everything in the holodeck instantly disappears, as a hologram would, rather than being beamed away, which is a different, delayed visual effect (also when food is replicated there’s a delay while it materializes, which we never see in the holodeck). I’ve never seen any of the above portrayed in the holodeck. Not that I can recall, at least. Maybe there’s some limited real matter replication going on when people eat at a restaurant in the holodeck. Though, I’m inclined to think that it’s just an oversight, and the producers never worked through the logic of it. If the holodeck emitters create real matter, it’s been kept a secret from the audience over the course of 5 TV series and 4 (TNG) movies.
You know, it has seemed to me that holodeck is whatever the story of the week needs it to be.
ML31
Yes, there have been quite a few inconsistencies in how the holodeck has been portrayed from TNG onward.
In Dr Kraus’s ‘The Physics of Star Trek’ scientists claimed that transporter technology- if feasible- would still take hundreds of years to develop.’ I’m paraphrasing, but my point is, I believe private industry will make it happen sooner. Star Trek holo tech uses transporter tech in their holo imagery, so why not give the challenge to the next generation of Gamer’s. I bet they’ll figure it out a heck of a lot sooner.
And we can’t forget that technology advances more exponential than linear, so i agree i would think we could have Holodecks sooner rather than later. Actually, it would be easier to build a Matrix equivalent as we just need to hack our perception and it would feel real.
@Awesomesauce — yup. Unless there’s technology advances that are somehow kept completely off the radar, were a lot close to VR solutions than environments we can move physically through.
The closest I can imagine we’d come in the near future is a 3D, holographic projection system combined with a Disney animatronic approach where robots, onto which any images can be projected, would interact with the user. Of course that would be severely limited and nothing like we’ve seen in TNG. So it would be a hybrid where real objects would be introduced according to a script, and everything else is a virtual projection.
NICE!!! Let’s make that dream come true before I die lol.
Look. We can’t be trusted with that kind of shit. That needs to not happen ANY time soon.
What’s the worst that can happen?
What they are describing is just a large scale 3D projection. So I agree that the potential for damage is limited. Once they add the ability to interact with objects in the holodeck it might get more problematic.
Neat
Let’s just hope no one develops a holoaddiction
Oh we will have so much Barclay’s around :))
“Blockchain GPU” might be the worst technobabble in the history of the franchise. It’s about as meaningful as “quantum donut” or “transphasic taco.” (You could argue they’re planning on using GPUs that are optimized for crypto-mining — but you could also call that “a powerful (vanilla) GPU.”)
I need to lose weight, but I like transphasic tacos.
Yeah, what could possibly go wrong….
Given the promotional nature of the press release I’d call it a buzzword rather than technobabble, but otherwise I agree. I’ll have to read through the links behind the press release, but on the face of it, blockchain has zero obvious relevance to graphics rendering. Blockchain is about a shared distributed database, which is necessarily slow. Lightfield rendering is computationally expensive, and even if you were using distributed computing to somehow make it tractable, it *still* wouldn’t be blockchain.
Having one of these wouldn’t be so bad, even tonight, say…. :)
Did I miss anything? There is no word about how this work or what they actually do? How does a holographic image is presented here? Without glasses…
Oh please. Okay so pops was a legend Rod. Stop milking it now. We’ve heard that enough.