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")
- Holographic resolution adjustable as necessary for individual elements
- 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
- Though not persistent outside holodecks, holomatter internal force-fields are partially self-sustaining for short durations (TNG: "The Big Goodbye")
- 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)
- Force-field-contained photon packets essentially serve as building blocks for larger holographic structures, simulating material interactions through direct manipulation of force-field parameters
- 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")
- Usually applied to smaller, handheld objects to reduce manipulation complexity
- Matter conversion nodes replicate objects as necessary for directly-manipulated props (VOY: "Heroes and Demons")
- Holographic imagery subsystem, also known as "hologrid" or "holomatrix" (TNG Short Story: "Thinking of You"; TNG: "Homeward"; VOY Short Story: "Talent Night")
- 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
- Interactive holographic characters based on fundamental VI framework populated with biographical and historical data and personality parameters as needed to simulate individual beings (TNG: "Booby Trap"; VOY: "Darkling")
- In individual interactions, standard framework can be incredibly convincing, although on repeated participation, 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")
- Interactive holographic characters based on fundamental VI framework populated with biographical and historical data and personality parameters as needed to simulate individual beings (TNG: "Booby Trap"; VOY: "Darkling")
- Internal forcefield substrate used as external data storage by which holoprogram data can be encoded for independent animation and functioning from holodeck processors so long as projection continues
- Heavily implied by general treatment of individual holographic entities across Trek
- Individual holographic elements can thus be easily transferred from one program to another without requiring massive reprogramming efforts
- As a result, sudden collapse of holoprogram projection can result in loss of program data for individual holographic elements (VOY Novel: The Farther Shore)
- 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)
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")