Step into the future as we take a closer look at the holodecks on Star Trek… they’re closer than you might think.
Star Trek’s fictional holodeck had two major components: three-dimensional (3D) images and physical interaction created by ‘force fields’ that made the holograms feel solid.
Today, we’re getting ever closer to achieving the first of these technologies. You may remember the first attempt at 3D televisions was a flop – nobody wanted to wear silly glasses at home and the quality wasn’t always great. This was known as ‘passive 3D’.
Things are different now: the latest 3D screens are ‘active 3D’. A camera with some clever AI software monitors the position of your eyes and presents each one with a subtly different view, calculated to give you the perfect illusion of depth.
The screens are able to present different images to your left and right eye by using a special lenticular lens layer that enables the light to be directed to the correct places, even if you move to a different position. Because it works by tracking your eyes, you don’t need to wear special glasses. Some of the screens will even detect multiple people at once and show each of them the view in 3D, albeit at a reduced resolution. The first laptops and televisions with this technology are coming out now.
It’s still a little hard to make holograms that feel solid, but researchers have shown that low-frequency audio waves can be directed such that they induce force, in a method known as audio haptics.
In 2021, scientists at the University of Glasgow created a system that tracks the position of your hand and then carefully pushes air with the right force in response to its movement when you interact with the virtual object. The result is that you feel as though you’re touching the 3D image.
Not quite a force field, but pretty good!
Read more:
- When will we see Star Wars tech in the real world?
- Why can’t we see in more dimensions than 3D?
- Does your brain adjust to the 3D-ness of a 3D film?
- Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?
Asked by: Ann Hoffman, Swindon
To submit your questions email us at questions@sciencefocus.com (don’t forget to include your name and location)