Many Questions - Holodeck

[xyzzy]

This is the most hard to believe of all ST technologies.

1. I believe it is possible for a powerful enough computer to create characters, rapport, understanding and providing suitable responses to the holodeckee.

But how does the holodeckee experience what is going around him / her? Is it mind inducing?

2. Can a holodeckee feel the holodeck image? How does Pickard ride the horse? What is physically between his legs?

3. Can you wander too far in the holodeck. Like The Truman Show where when he escapes he hits the dome edge? Maybe the deck is a rolling 30ft cube or so? But what happens if two on the deck walk 40ft in different directions?

4. When eating / drinking in a holodeck bar what are the holodeckees physically feeling?

 

[Tiberius]

1. I believe it is possible for a powerful enough computer to create characters, rapport, understanding and providing suitable responses to the holodeckee.

But how does the holodeckee experience what is going around him / her? Is it mind inducing?

They can see it, and they can feel it via forcefields being projected into the holodeck. Some things created on the holodeck are also simply replicated matter.

2. Can a holodeckee feel the holodeck image? How does Pickard ride the horse? What is physically between his legs?

Again, forcefields.

3. Can you wander too far in the holodeck. Like The Truman Show where when he escapes he hits the dome edge? Maybe the deck is a rolling 30ft cube or so? But what happens if two on the deck walk 40ft in different directions?

No. The "Ground" or "Floor" created by the holodeck moves in the same way as a treadmill.

4. When eating / drinking in a holodeck bar what are the holodeckees physically feeling?

Replicated food.

 

[xyzzy]

Ok, I can near enough grasp that holodecks are possible. Basically it is just one large replicator creating objects all around a person, rather than a food dispenser producing a plate of burgers and fries in the confines of a box in the wall.

I still think there is a problem with two people in the room at the same time. If the room does work on a tread mill principle it would be impossible for two people to walk in opposite directions ... unless as I read in another thread the holodeck has the facility to split the persons into different zones.

This would be like two objects on a 19" LCD screen. If one moves left, the other right, then as soon as one hits the edge of the screen a second screen is spawned. Sort of like a dual monitor set up.

 

[Tom Riley]

If you read that answer to your question in another thread, then why are you asking?

 

[xyzzy]

If you read that answer to your question in another thread, then why are you asking?

I believe my question was posted before I read the other thread

 

[Frontier]

Shouldn't this (and the other few tech-centric topics in this forum by xyzzy) be in TrekTech?

 

[Forbin]

^It would make more sense there, yes, but what the heck.

I agree that having more than one person in the holodeck going off in opposite directions creates serious problems with my brain. There's a point where illusion has to run into a brick wall, like when you watch a 3D movie and something goes off the screen.

The biggest offender to my suspension of disbelief was "Take Me Out to the Holosuite." I just could not believe you could jam two dozen people into a 20-foot-square room and have each individual believe they were scattered around a 3 acre field, each enjoying a realistic point of view and seeing the others at the proper distance. At that point it seemed more like a hypnotic illusion.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Shouldn't this (and the other few tech-centric topics in this forum by xyzzy) be in TrekTech?

Yeah, I'm moving all three threads now. While a lot of regulars frequent both forums, there might be others who can help you over there.

XYZZY, be careful about starting too many threads in a day. Three is usually the limit, so you're cool this time, but it does get a bit disconcerting to see three "Many Questions" threads pop up all at the same time by the same user.

 

[Timo]

I just could not believe you could jam two dozen people into a 20-foot-square room and have each individual believe they were scattered around a 3 acre field

Who says they were in the same room? Quark has several holosuites...

Also, the players could probably be stacked at least two high, perhaps three high, in those suites. More horizontal elbow room for each, then.

Timo Saloniemi