Star Trek: Discovery unintentionally introduced superior interface technology to tactile LCARS, holograms, and programmable matter and only uses it in isolated situations. This technology is potentially more powerful than the automated door technology of TOS and TNG, with subtlety of interactivity superior to the dream machine used by the Equinox crew in place of holodecks in VOY.
At the end of DIS season 3 Sukal lives in a holodeck which can read people's minds. It creates a hologram avatar of Grey which can respond to people and objects in the holodeck, showing it is a two way link. It also inserts sensations and mental processes into people's minds as shown by how Saru can feel his heels on the ground, which should be physically impossible, and he experiences the human fear of heights, a fear Saru says Kelpians lack.
The above indicates a fully psychic two way interface.
In season 4 of DIS we see two way telepresence holograms are a simple, fast way to be someplace without traveling. Stamets uses the technology for the first time without familiarity nor any issues. The connection is so strong that even when the ship can no longer transmit, somehow the holographic telepresence continues to function flawlessly. That brings up the question of whether Stamets was actually remote controlling the hologram, as apposed to having been downloaded into the system either as himself, such as Picard being decanted into the golem body, or a temporary copy. In DS9 we see people's personalities preserved in the station computer through the holodeck, so something like that might have occurred.
Stamet's hologram involves a chip placed on his forehead, but no such chip is visible on the Trill priest, nor were such devices used on Sukal's holodeck. This shows us a chip can be used but is not required; if a room, such as a holodeck, is equipped for mental communication it likely precludes the need for a chip.
Later we see the after effects of a Trill monk perform a psychic procedure through holographic telepresence, indicating even psychic abilities can be copied, which further plays into the two way psychic nature of 32rd century interfaces. This is vaguely reminiscent of an oppositely working version of Vulcan technopsychic abilities Spock uses to mind meld with sufficiently complex computers. There are also the 24th century direct mind-machine interface seen in DS9, and in Voyager with future Janeway's brain chip which she uses to mentally control her shuttle.
What this means for 32nd century interfaces is it should be possible to non-invasively create a psychic mind-machine interface which allows input and output. Imagine simply knowing all the information you need without reading, listening, or touching. Action can be taken without moving any part of one's body since utilizing a ship's tractor beam would be like moving a limb of its own. This could go as far as giving a person distinct senses they do not possess which are directly analogous to ship generated information.
This does not have to form a collective mind, though such a thing would be possible, and could be an interesting commentary on the Borg. Though, following the humanistic tendencies of Star Trek, a psychic interface would be more likely to instead shift the bridge layout strongly toward the lounge/bridge concept of TNG, with more emphasis on the canon conference rooms.
During non-combat running, people could take positions where ever most comfortable and appear to simply lounge. This would be akin to an intellectual appearing to do nothing, staring at a wall, or tossing a ball, when they are in fact deep in thought. During emergencies control of the ship would be much more like sitting in the conference room with Picard's crew giving him assessments and options, and him making decisions in a more continuous manner as the situation changes. Such a setup would have to lean more heavily on TOS styles of combat tension, or greater external combat shots.
At the end of DIS season 3 Sukal lives in a holodeck which can read people's minds. It creates a hologram avatar of Grey which can respond to people and objects in the holodeck, showing it is a two way link. It also inserts sensations and mental processes into people's minds as shown by how Saru can feel his heels on the ground, which should be physically impossible, and he experiences the human fear of heights, a fear Saru says Kelpians lack.
The above indicates a fully psychic two way interface.
In season 4 of DIS we see two way telepresence holograms are a simple, fast way to be someplace without traveling. Stamets uses the technology for the first time without familiarity nor any issues. The connection is so strong that even when the ship can no longer transmit, somehow the holographic telepresence continues to function flawlessly. That brings up the question of whether Stamets was actually remote controlling the hologram, as apposed to having been downloaded into the system either as himself, such as Picard being decanted into the golem body, or a temporary copy. In DS9 we see people's personalities preserved in the station computer through the holodeck, so something like that might have occurred.
Stamet's hologram involves a chip placed on his forehead, but no such chip is visible on the Trill priest, nor were such devices used on Sukal's holodeck. This shows us a chip can be used but is not required; if a room, such as a holodeck, is equipped for mental communication it likely precludes the need for a chip.
Later we see the after effects of a Trill monk perform a psychic procedure through holographic telepresence, indicating even psychic abilities can be copied, which further plays into the two way psychic nature of 32rd century interfaces. This is vaguely reminiscent of an oppositely working version of Vulcan technopsychic abilities Spock uses to mind meld with sufficiently complex computers. There are also the 24th century direct mind-machine interface seen in DS9, and in Voyager with future Janeway's brain chip which she uses to mentally control her shuttle.
What this means for 32nd century interfaces is it should be possible to non-invasively create a psychic mind-machine interface which allows input and output. Imagine simply knowing all the information you need without reading, listening, or touching. Action can be taken without moving any part of one's body since utilizing a ship's tractor beam would be like moving a limb of its own. This could go as far as giving a person distinct senses they do not possess which are directly analogous to ship generated information.
This does not have to form a collective mind, though such a thing would be possible, and could be an interesting commentary on the Borg. Though, following the humanistic tendencies of Star Trek, a psychic interface would be more likely to instead shift the bridge layout strongly toward the lounge/bridge concept of TNG, with more emphasis on the canon conference rooms.
During non-combat running, people could take positions where ever most comfortable and appear to simply lounge. This would be akin to an intellectual appearing to do nothing, staring at a wall, or tossing a ball, when they are in fact deep in thought. During emergencies control of the ship would be much more like sitting in the conference room with Picard's crew giving him assessments and options, and him making decisions in a more continuous manner as the situation changes. Such a setup would have to lean more heavily on TOS styles of combat tension, or greater external combat shots.
