Holographic environment simulator

Facts

• Enclosed chamber used as tool for training and simulation, as well as general recreation
• Commonly known as "holodeck" (in Starfleet context) or "holosuite" (in civilian context) (Various)
  • Among near-wormhole civilizations, known as "actuality-web room" (DS9 Novel: Rising Son)

Technical

• Simulations composed of a combination of projected three-dimensional images, replicated matter
  • Holographic imagery subsystem, also known as "hologrid" or "holomatrix" (TNG Short Story: "Thinking of You"; TNG: "Homeward"; VOY Short Story: "Talent Night")
    • Fundamental component of holodeck functioning, required for holodeck operation
    • Omnidirectional holographic diodesemits photon packets contained within and manipulated by low-energy force-fields, producing illusion of three-dimensional structures
      • Force-field-contained photon packets essentially serve as building blocks for larger holographic structures, simulating material interactions through direct manipulation of force-field parameters
        • Holographic resolution adjustable as necessary for individual elements
          • With sufficient computational power, resolution can potentially be reduced to molecular-level (VOY: "The Phage")
          • Most simulations, however, minimize internal and external complexity as much as possible to minimize power consumtpion of hologrid (VOY Short Story: "Talent Night")
            • Overtaxed holomatrix shuts down entirely, disrupting simulation and potentially damaging program (VOY Short Story: "Talent Night")
      • Commonly referred to as "holodeck matter", or "holomatter" (TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data", "Ship in a Bottle")
        • Though not persistent outside holodecks, holomatter internal force-fields are partially self-sustaining for short durations (TNG: "The Big Goodbye")
          • Purposeful design aspect to provide for maintenance of holographic simulations through brief interruption of systems
      • Usually applied to larger objects (furniture, landscape, characters) which will not have much direct movement through participant interaction
        • Often also be used for substances which, if replicated, could lead to worsened experience; mud, filth, etc. (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: Twilight)
  • Matter conversion subsystem (TNG Short Story: "Thinking of You"; VOY: "Heroes and Demons")
    • Matter conversion nodes replicate objects as necessary for directly-manipulated props (VOY: "Heroes and Demons")
      • Usually applied to smaller, handheld objects to reduce manipulation complexity
        • On failure of replication systems, handheld objects can be simulated via holomatter, but computational requirements can increase on high interactions, potentially leading to loss of simulation fidelity (TNG Short Story: "Thinking of You")
      • Props can transition from former simulation method to latter smoothly as needed (VOY: "Heroes and Demons")
        • e.g., a full bookshelf simulated using the above method, with individual objects replicated when holodeck routines project high probability of direct participant interaction in near future
      • On extreme system failure, matter conversion subsystem can potentially dematerialize objects other than holodeck-generated props, though such instances are rare (TNG: "The Big Goodbye"; VOY: "Heroes and Demons")
• Illusion of heightened internal space provided by combination of internal treadmill-like effects, internal subdivision of holodeck space
  • Individuals walking or maneuvering within holodeck simulations over long distances are held in place through partial application of holodeck force-fields, while simulation is reconfigured to provide the illusion of forward motion
  • When multiple individuals separate in a given simulation, system internally subdivides holodeck through holomatter barriers between individuals in question projecting illusion of separated individuals (if they should be visible) at greater distance
    • Maximum holodeck occupancy thus based on number of individuals able to be simultaneously subdivided such that no one individual can directly interact with projected holomatter barriers without physical approach
• Holodeck programs consist of individual holographic elements with specific associated programs
  • As with most computer programs in 24th century era, such programs consist of individual devoted black-box subroutines serving as independent components interconnected to one another as needed
• For protection of occupants, safety subroutines prevent or avert potentially dangerous circumstances
  • Objects identified as holding risk of injury are converted to holomatter, left immaterial when interacting with occupants (S31 Novel: Abyss)
  • On pending impact with walls, cushioning forcefields generated to slow or divert objects or occupants (S31 Novel: Abyss)

Holomatrix

• Interactive holographic characters based on pseudo-physical, independent projections composed of holomatter serving as a computational substrate running a VI framework populated with biographical and historical data and personality parameters as needed to simulate individual beings (TNG: "Booby Trap"; VOY: "Darkling")
  • Offloading processing onto a self-perpetuating holomatter substrate allows for much greater processing capability, allowing for far more convincing VI behavior than previous implementations
    • On repeated participation, however, programmatic nature of framework can be more blatant, disrupting immersion (VOY: "Heroes and Demons")
    • Experimentations to expand framework such that VI framework can better withstand repeated participation have often led to results hovering in grey area between VI and AI (TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data"; DS9: "His Way"; VOY; TNG Novel: Immortal Coil)
      • Such experimentations often approach nearer to AI as programs run over extended periods, resulting in increasing density of internal interconnections from learning algorithms (DS9 Novel: The Long Mirage)
      • Questions on fundamental sentience of such AI first arose c.2377 from Mark I EMH installed upon USS Voyager (VOY: "Author, Author")
  • Due to the holomatter projection itself serving as the hardware for the VI when active, holomatrices often behave in counter-intuitive ways as compared with most software subcomponents
    • Individual holographic elements can be easily transferred from one program or hardware platform to another without requiring massive reprogramming efforts, due to containing their own software (Various)
    • Chaotic nature of projection/software interplay renders traditional methods of backup less tenable for especially complex holomatrices, as small differences in data storage can lead to massive divergences in matrix stability
      • Incredibly complex holomatrices require bespoke hardware platforms for consistency and full stability
        • Implied given the individualistic treatment of sapient holographic AI
          • Also implies that isolinear data storage is analog to at least some degree
        • Starfleet vessels with EMH modules are only provided singular backup modules due to difficulty of ensuring full hardware consistency
    • Sudden collapse of holoprogram projection can result in loss of program data for individual holographic elements (VOY Novel: The Farther Shore)

History

• Successor technology to 23rd century environment simulation and recreation rooms (TAS: "The Practical Joker")
• Initial implementations purely in civilian realm
  • Available to civilians as early as 2341 (VOY: "Once Upon a Time")
• By 2364, more established implementations installed on Starfleet vessels (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
  • Implied as new Starfleet technology in that episode
• c.2370, experimentations by Starfleet Intelligence with telepathic holographic feedback system revealed intense danger of playing towards expectations enhancing fidelity of simulation, leading to extraordinarily high risk of holodiction (SCE Short Story: "Enigma Ship")