Disney recently unveiled a new technology called the HoloTile Floor that could soon make Star Trek’s holodeck a reality. The first appearance of the holodeck came in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the technology has remained a staple of every Star Trek show set in that era. A square room with a black and yellow grid on the walls and floor, the holodeck can recreate any real or imagined setting with stunning accuracy. With the technology of the 24th century, the holodeck allows users to immersive themselves in historical settings or fictional worlds that feel almost like reality.
Though Star Trek technology may occasionally veer into the fantastical, the franchise’s creators generally try to remain rooted in actual science and potential future technology. Several technologies introduced in the Star Trek franchise have gone on to become reality, such as electronic tablets and voice-activated computers. While the technology of today has not quite reached the levels necessary to create a true holodeck, Disney’s HoloTile Floor marks a significant step in that direction. Invented by Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot, the treadmill-like floor allows users to walk continuously in any direction while staying within a small area of space.
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Disney’s HoloTile Floor Resembles The Technology Of Star Trek’s Holodeck
The magic of Disney brings Star Trek technology to life.
Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot invented the HoloTile Floor, which acts as an omnidirectional moving floor that continually adjusts to the way the user moves. The floor is made up of many small moving tiles, and it can support multiple people at a time. In a blog post on The Walt Disney Company’s official website, they reveal more about the HoloTile Floor and its potential uses. Read the full quote below:
[Lanny Smoot] is currently working on the HoloTile floor, the world’s first multi-person, omni-directional, modular, expandable, treadmill floor. It allows any number of people to have a shared virtual reality (VR) experience, walk an unlimited distance in any direction, and never collide or walk off its surface. The HoloTile floor can also be an insert in a theatrical stage, allowing performers to move and dance in new ways, or stage props and structures to move around or appear to set themselves up.
Accompanied with a Virtual Reality headset, Disney’s HoloTile Floor would allow people to explore sites like museums and cities, as they could walk in any direction without fear of bumping into any obstacles. In Star Trek’s best holodeck episodes, the characters explore seemingly vast landscapes without ever leaving their starship or space station. Users of the holodeck can visit expansive forests or busy city streets, all recreated within a relatively small, square room. Star Trek has never fully explained the exact technology behind the holodeck because that technology did not exist at the time. The HoloTile Floor may only encompass one aspect of Star Trek’s holodeck, but it brings the technology one step closer to reality.
The Holodeck Remains One Of Star Trek’s Best Inventions
The creation of the holodeck led to some of Star Trek’s most fun episodes.
The holodeck debuted in the premiere episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, as a new piece of technology aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Even Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his First Officer Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) were impressed by the realistic recreations within the holodeck. Although the exact science behind Star Trek’s holodeck has never been fully explained, it consists of a hologrid that can create realistic holograms and holographic matter. To accomplish this, the holodeck uses replicator and transporter technology. By the time of TNG, most Federation Starships were equipped with holodecks, which could be used for entertainment as well as training purposes.
Star Trek Shows That Use Holodecks |
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Star Trek: The Animated Series (called the Recreation Room) |
Star Trek: The Next Generation |
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine |
Star Trek: Voyager |
Star Trek: Lower Decks |
Star Trek: Prodigy |
Star Trek: Discovery (after season 3) |
Star Trek: Picard |
Some of Star Trek’s most entertaining episodes take place almost entirely on the holodeck, as the characters play out their favorite stories or visit famous historical settings. From Captain Picard’s hard-boiled detective exploits and Lt. Commander Data’s (Brent Spiner) Sherlock Holms stories to Lt. Tom Paris’ (Robert Duncan McNeill) old-school sci-fi adventures, many Star Trek characters have had incredibly fun holodeck episodes. Modern technology may not be advanced enough yet to allow for the same kind of immersive entertainment as the holodeck, but Disney’s HoloTile Floor still represents an astonishing level of accomplishment and technological advancement.
