10 Star Trek Gadgets That Actually Exist
If you have ever watched Star Trek, you will know that they used many futuristic devices. Here we will take a look at some of those devices that are actually in existence in real life.
Image via Wikipedia
Cloaking Device
The ability to truly cloak something in warfare would greatly improve the chances of victory. The British Army have already managed to successfully do it. They managed to ‘hide’ a 60 tonne tank just by projecting images from behind the tank to the front, giving the impression that there was nothing there.
Communicator
Sitting proudly on the uniform, all Captain Kirk had to do was hit the button and he could talk to anyone else. The crazy thing is, it actually exists. Vocera Communications has made the device like-for-like, using hands-free voice activated devices (carried around the neck) they can talk to all their fellow workers.
Holodeck
Virtual reality made good. In the series, all a crew member had to do was step on to the holodeck and they would be whisked away into whatever place they wanted to be. Similar technology is being worked on in the real world. MotionWare headsets already exist that trick your brain into thinking you are somewhere you are not.
Hypospray
In the original Star Trek, Dr Leonard McCoy used a hypospray to administer medicine without the use of needles. Back in the real world, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology chemical engineer has designed a device that parts the skin temporarily, thus allowing any medicine to pass through freely.
Image via Wikipedia
Phaser Gun
Set phasers to stun – sounds good doesn’t it? It is not far from becoming reality. The US defence firm Ionatron is in the process of developing laser guided, directed energy weapons that can annihilate or stun. The company are also currently developing weapons for the US military.
Super Glass
If you are going to be flying through space and have no idea what you may encounter, it would be ideal to have some kind of super glass protecting the windows of your craft. The US Air Force has developed a type of super glass that can withstand bomb blasts and armour-piercing bullets.
Tractor Beam
It would be a amazing if you had a spaceship that had a tractor beam, hauling in nearby spaceships at any time you wanted. A version currently exists. Scientists at St Andrews University created a tractor beam of sorts, they successfully used it to move glass beads with a beam of light under a microscope.
Tricorder
In Star Trek, they used a tricorder to detect any illnesses in the body, merely by moving the device over it. There is a version in existence just now but it is limited to detecting pneumonia by sampling the air the patient breathes.
Universal Translator
Wouldn’t it be good if there was a gizmo that allowed you to translate any type of alien speak into English so you could understand it? Well it already exists – sort of. A device currently exists that translates most Earth languages and speaks them back to the recipient.
Warp Speed
In Star Trek, the Enterprise could travel faster than the speed of light. NASA haven’t yet managed to reach such speeds. They have managed to reach speeds of 17,000mph but a new engine they have been working on will have a top speed of 34,000mph and scientists believe that it could make interplanetary space travel a reality.
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13 Responses to “10 Star Trek Gadgets That Actually Exist”
On November 18, 2009 at 5:15 am
Very interesting indeed. It seems everything is becoming possible today.
On November 18, 2009 at 9:14 am
Interesting topic. Thanks for sharing.
On November 18, 2009 at 9:25 am
Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
On November 18, 2009 at 10:37 am
Great article, I always loved those Star Trek gadgets.
On November 18, 2009 at 12:28 pm
We watched a show on how Star Trek actually caused some things to be invented.. it was pretty cool.
On November 18, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Cell phones were born of Star Trek. You cannot tell me a cell phone does not look like the hand held communicators.
On November 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Nice write!
On November 18, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Fascinating. I’ve heard that the original audience of the original series scoffed at the idea of a small, wireless communicator.
At the time, automatic door openers didn’t even exist. They had to hide crew members behind the doors to open and close them.
Live Long and Prosper.
On November 19, 2009 at 12:56 am
Too cool. I’ll be glad when they come up with that little scanner thingy McCoy used for the ever dreaded pap smears and mammograms.
On November 19, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Great article. It’s incredible to look back and see how many devices were inspired by futuristic TV shows! By the way, I hope the actual universal translator doesn’t work for a very long time — being a translator, that would leave out of work!!!!
(BTW, I’ve sorta become an addict to your wonderful articles!)
On November 28, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Very cool list, however Warp Speed and the Speed of Light are not the same.
On November 30, 2009 at 10:12 pm
You are all idiots
On November 30, 2009 at 11:19 pm
The cellular ‘flip phone’ was admittedly styled to resemble the old-style communicator. That is why I love it so!
Phasers …ahh, if only! Focused energy weapons are problematic but lasers waste some 90% of their energy in the form of heat. If this could be reduced to around 20 or even 10%, then a hand-held energy weapon capable to cutting (and stunning/killing, etc.) becomes a reality…
Kewl article!! Stumbled!
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