Category:Sensors

Facts

• Any form of technology used to detect some phenomenon from a distance
• Divided into active and passive
  • Passive
    • Detection of emissions without direct interaction
  • Active
    • Transmission of some means to detect through interaction with distant phenomena
    • Often involved emission of unspecified signal at particular frequencies (TNG Novel: Available Light)

Technological notes

• High-density minerals often serve to deflect active sensor efforts and prevent passive detection
• Certain forms of low-level warp fields can serve to deflect sensors (TNG Novel: A Time to Heal)
• Natural crystalline structures, such as certain Oort cloud bodies, can serve as natural enhancers for active sensor efforts, expanding effective range immensely (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: Cathedral)

Generic components

• Image translator (TNG Novel: Q & A)
  • Automatically translates raw sensor data into visual-spectrum image (TNG Novel: Q & A)

Implementations

Dekyon resonance pattern

• Analyzes local dekyon field for resonances indicating sources of dekyon emissions (TNG: "Cause and Effect"; TNG Novel: A Time to Heal)

Icospectrogram

• First developed May 2267 (VAN Novel: Precipice)
• Subspace penetration scans allow for chemical analysis of wide regions of a planet that could otherwise not be resolved (TNG: "Pen Pals"; SCE Short Story: "Wildfire, Book 1"; TNG Novel: A Time to Heal)
  • Can resolve chemical makeup of both terrestrial strata and gas giant atmospheric composition (TNG: "Pen Pals"; SCE Short Story: "Wildfire, Book 1"; TNG Novel: A Time to Heal)
  • Requires extended time, effort to produce results (TNG: "Pen Pals")
  • Sensor penetration still not limitless (SCE Short Story: "Wildfire, Book 1")