[ SCREAMING ]
I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO CREATE A WORLD
WHERE REALITY COLLIDES WITH MIND-BENDING TECHNOLOGY.
AH, AH, AH!
IT'S THE ULTIMATE VIRTUAL REALITY.
Dr. Kaku: ONE ROOM WHERE YOU CAN DO ANYTHING AND BE ANYONE.
WHOA. [ LAUGHS ]
AND I'VE GOT TO CONVINCE THESE GUYS I CAN DO IT RIGHT.
COMPUTER, FEMALE STAR FLEET OFFICER.
HMM, NOT DOING THE RED HAIR.
I'M GONNA BUILD A HOLODECK STRAIGHT OUT OF "STAR TREK."
I'M DR. MICHIO KAKU.
I'M A THEORETICAL PHYSICIST
AND A SCIENCE-FICTION [Echoing] FAN.
JOIN ME AS I SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE SCI-FI [Echoing] SCIENCE.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
THE HOLODECK IS A ROOM ON THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE
IN WHICH YOU CAN CONJURE UP VIRTUALLY ANY IMAGINARY WORLD
WHICH IS NOW INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE REAL THING.
I BELIEVE IT'S ONE OF SCI-FI'S MOST IMAGINATIVE CREATIONS,
AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE.
I HAVE TO CONVINCE DIE-HARD TREKKERS
THAT MY DESIGN WILL WORK.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY -- THEY REALLY KNOW THEIR STUFF.
WHAT IS A HOLODECK?
A HOLODECK IS A PROGRAM THAT BASICALLY SIMULATES
ANY PLACE, ANY PERSON YOU MIGHT WANT TO INTERACT WITH,
AND YOU DON'T ACTUALLY GO ANYWHERE.
AS LONG AS YOUR IMAGINATION CAN CREATE IT
AND THE COMPUTER HAS INFORMATION ABOUT IT ON FILE,
YOU CAN GO THERE.
YOU COULD TAKE EARTH WITH YOU INTO SPACE.
THE HOLODECK IS A WORK OF FICTION,
BUT I BELIEVE THAT EVERY SPACESHIP SHOULD HAVE ONE.
JUST IMAGINE DIALING UP CONEY ISLAND
TO ESCAPE THE DRUDGERY OF A LONG-HAUL MISSION.
BUT WHAT WOULD IT TAKE
TO CREATE A VIRTUAL WORLD THAT STIMULATES ALL THE SENSES?
MY HOLODECK MUST PERFORM THREE BASIC FUNCTIONS.
FIRST, THE ABILITY TO CREATE IMAGINARY WORLDS
THAT ARE THOROUGHLY REALISTIC.
TWO, THE ABILITY TO INTERACT WITH, TOUCH, AND FEEL OBJECTS
IN THESE VIRTUAL WORLDS.
AND THREE, THE ABILITY TO CREATE WORLDS
THAT ARE LIMITLESS, WITHOUT BOUNDARIES.
MY FIRST CHALLENGE IS TO MAKE MY HOLODECK LOOK CONVINCING,
SO I'M HEADING TO NEW JERSEY
TO VISIT ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED
VIRTUAL-REALITY SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD -- THE CAVE.
SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT THE CAVE IS AS CLOSE AS WE CAN COME TODAY
TO A REAL HOLODECK.
[ CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING ]
JUST LIKE THE HOLODECK,
THE CAVE IS A VIRTUAL WORLD THAT YOU STEP RIGHT INTO.
LET ME SEE. WHOA.
OH, MY GOD. LOOK AT THAT. [ CHUCKLES ]
YOU WANT TO GRAB THIS THING, RIGHT?
SPECIAL GLASSES ALLOW YOU TO SEE THE ACTION IN 3-D.
BUT THIS IS NO TRIP TO THE MOVIES.
I CAN HAND YOU THIS CONTROLLER,
AND YOU CAN FLY AROUND ANY WAY YOU'D LIKE.
WHOA. I'M REALLY THERE.
RIGHT?
THE CAVE IS INTELLIGENT.
IT RESPONDS TO YOUR EVERY COMMAND,
CREATING A SENSATION OF COMPLETE IMMERSION.
MY VIRTUAL TOUR GUIDE FOR THE DAY IS GEORGE LECAKES.
THIS IS THE FUTURE OF VIRTUAL REALITY, HUH?
THIS IS THE WAY IT'S LOOKING LIKE IT'S GOING TO GO.
TOTAL IMMERSION. LOOK AT THIS.
THE CAVE AT ROWAN HAS FOUR PROJECTED SCREENS,
EACH CONTROLLED BY A SEPARATE COMPUTER.
UM, MIKE, WOULD YOU MIND DIALING IN THE DINOSAUR DEMO, PLEASE?
D[ CHUCKLES ]?
YES.
I HOPE I'M NOT GONNA BE BREAKFAST, NOW.
LIKE IN THE HOLODECK,
NO TWO CAVE ADVENTURES ARE EVER THE SAME.
THEY UNFOLD, DEPENDING UPON THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE.
HERE COMES A T-REX, RIGHT AT US.
AND THAT FEELING OF BEING RIGHT IN THE ACTION
IS DOWN TO PERSPECTIVE SHIFT.
WOW, LOOK AT THAT.
AS I MOVE MY HEAD, EVERYTHING AROUND ME MOVES.
HOW'S THAT?
WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY THE CAMERAS THAT ARE ALL AROUND YOU --
EIGHT OF THEM, EXACTLY.
AND THEY'RE PICKING UP ON THE LITTLE TRACKER ON YOUR GLASSES.
IT'S EMITTING INFRARED LIGHT.
NOW, WE CAN'T SEE IT, BUT THE CAMERAS CAN.
SO AS YOU MOVE, IT'S TELLING THE CAVE
HOW TO MOVE IN RESPONSE TO YOU.
AH. SO THE CAVE KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE MY HEAD IS POINTING.
PERFECTLY.
AND THAT'S WHY THE SCREENS CHANGE SO MUCH AS YOU MOVE.
SO, HOW CLOSE CAN I GET TO THE T-REX?
AS CLOSE AS YOU'D LIKE.
YOU CAN GET IN HIS MOUTH, ACTUALLY.
DON'T DO THIS AT HOME, KIDS.
I CAN SEE THE TEETH.
AAH!
IT'S A SURREAL EXPERIENCE.
BUT I CAN'T HELP WONDERING
WHAT CAPTAIN PICARD AND COMMANDER RIKER
FROM "STAR TREK" WOULD MAKE OF IT.
WHOA. LOOK AT THAT. OH, MY GOD. LOOK AT THAT.
AH, AH, AH!
NOW, THAT WAS REALLY COOL.
MUCH BETTER THAN THOSE CLUNKY HELMETS
THAT YOU PUT ON AT THOSE COMPUTER FAIRS
AND YOU WORK IN VIRTUAL REALITY.
I THINK THIS IS A GIANT LEAP FORWARD.
BUT TO BE FAIR,
I DON'T THINK PICARD OR RIKER WOULD BE SATISFIED JUST YET.
IT STILL NEEDS SOME MORE IMPROVEMENTS,
AND I THINK I KNOW WHERE THAT MAY COME FROM.
WALL PROJECTION MAY BE FINE FOR THE 21st CENTURY,
BUT IT HAS NO PLACE IN MY HOLODECK DESIGN.
RESEARCHERS HAVE ALREADY PLACED L.E.D.s
DIRECTLY ONTO A CONTACT LENS.
I BELIEVE THAT IN THE COMING YEARS,
WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROJECT AN ENTIRE VIRTUAL UNIVERSE
ONTO THE BACK OF OUR EYES.
PUT IN A HOLODECK LENS,
AND YOUR EYE IS INSTANTLY FILLED
WITH AN ALTERNATE REALITY
THAT'S PROJECTED DIRECTLY ONTO YOUR RETINA.
ALL YOU CAN SEE IS COMPUTER-GENERATED.
I'LL STRENGTHEN THE ILLUSION
BY SYNCHING AUDIO SPEAKERS INTO THE WALLS OF THE ROOM.
IT'S A GOOD START.
BUT TO SATISFY THESE GUYS,
MY HOLODECK NEEDS TO BE UP TO FEDERATION STANDARDS.
CAPTAIN PICARD LIKED TO RIDE HORSES A LOT.
CAPTAIN PICARD SEEMED TO FIND A WAY TO RIDE A HORSE
EVERY TIME HE WALKED THROUGH THOSE DOORS.
SO HE COULD BE ON THE PLANET VULCAN, RIDING A HORSE.
EXACTLY. IT WOULD HAVE POINTY EARS, THOUGH.
POINTIER EARS.
[ HORSE NEIGHS ]
IF I HAVE ANY CHANCE OF CONVINCING THE SCI-FI FANS
THAT MY DESIGN IS WORTHY OF "STAR TREK,"
THEN OBJECTS IN MY HOLODECK
MUST NOT ONLY LOOK, BUT FEEL LIKE THE REAL THING.
COMING UP, I GO NOWHERE FAST ON A MILITARY SIMULATOR.
WHOA. [ LAUGHS ]
AND I SUIT UP FOR AN EXCLUSIVE GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE.
YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU COULD GET IT DOWN
TO SOMETHING SMALLER THAN THE HEAD OF A PIN?
TO MAKE A HOLODECK JUST LIKE THE ONE IN "STAR TREK,"
I HAVE TO CREATE A VIRTUAL WORLD
THAT FEELS JUST FEELS JUST AS REAL AS IT LOOKS.
CAPTAIN PICARD LIKED TO RIDE HORSES ON THE HOLODECK.
REPLICATING THAT IS THE ULTIMATE TEST OF MY DESIGN,
BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY SENSATIONS
THAT I HAVE TO REPRODUCE.
IF I CLOSE MY EYES, I STILL KNOW THAT I'M RIDING A HORSE.
I CAN FEEL THE WIND ON MY FACE,
I CAN FEEL THE ROCKING MOTION OF THE SADDLE,
AND I CAN FEEL THE TEXTURE OF THE HORSE'S SKIN.
I BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SIMULATE THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE
IS TO TAKE REAL MATTER
AND MOLD IT INTO THE SHAPE OF A LIVING HORSE.
FOR THAT, I NEED TO LEAVE NEW YORK
TO MEET A MAN WHO'S DEVELOPING A TECHNOLOGY
THAT COULD REVOLUTIONIZE OUR LIVES.
THIS IS A VISION OF THE NEAR FUTURE -- PROGRAMMABLE MATTER.
INSTEAD OF ATOMS, THIS CAR IS MADE UP OF CATOMS --
TINY ROBOTIC BALLS THAT WORK TOGETHER
TO TAKE ON ANY SHAPE OR COLOR.
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY IN PITTSBURGH
IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF CATOM RESEARCH.
AND SCIENTISTS HERE BELIEVE THAT IN THE FUTURE,
EVERYTHING WE OWN WILL BE MADE FROM SHAPE-SHIFTING CATOMS.
ALL YOU DO IS DOWNLOAD THE SOFTWARE ON THE WEB,
AND THERE'S YOUR FURNITURE, YOUR HOUSE,
YOUR APPLIANCES, YOUR CITY.
FOR PROGRAMMABLE MATTER TO WORK,
EACH MICROSCOPIC CATOM NEEDS ITS OWN COMPUTER BRAIN.
TRANSISTORS SMALL ENOUGH TO DO THE JOB
MAY BE JUST A FEW YEARS AWAY.
AND SETH GOLDSTEIN IS ALREADY WORKING
ON HOW TO BUILD THE SHELLS TO HOUSE THEM.
Goldstein: THE ENTIRE THING THAT YOU SEE THERE HAS 12 CATOMS.
IF WE LOOK AT ONE CATOM, THERE'S TWO PARTS TO IT.
THERE'S THE SOLID, SILVER PART. THAT'S WHERE A CHIP WOULD GO.
AND THEN THE LINES ARE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO PLACE THE CHARGE
TO GET IT TO EITHER MOVE, STICK TOGETHER,
COMMUNICATE, OR SHARE POWER.
SO, ESSENTIALLY, THAT ONE MECHANISM DOES ALL FOUR FUNCTIONS.
OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE THESE SMALLER AND SMALLER AND SMALLER
UNTIL YOU GET ABOUT 120 OF THEM LINED UP TO AN INCH.
SETH'S SIMPLE TUBE DESIGN WILL WORK IN TWO DIMENSIONS.
BUT AS THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES, THEY'LL BE REPLACED BY SPHERES,
ALLOWING THE 3-D SIMULATION OF ANY OBJECT YOU CAN IMAGINE.
YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF THAT CLEAN ROOM AND TALKING TO SETH,
I GET THE DISTINCT FEELING
THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO MODERN-DAY SORCERERS.
AND YET HERE WE ARE DOING IT, USING HIGH TECHNOLOGY.
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
TO MAKE A CAR OR A HOLODECK HORSE,
MILLIONS OF CATOMS NEED TO COORDINATE THEIR MOVEMENTS
TO PERFECTION -- A PROGRAMMING NIGHTMARE.
SO SETH HAS DEVELOPED THESE COLORED BLOCKS
TO REFINE HOW CATOMS COMMUNICATE.
THEY EACH HAVE A COMPUTER BRAIN AND THE ABILITY TO TAKE ORDERS.
THESE ARE COLORED IN THE RAINBOW AS YOU GO UP HIGHER.
SO IF I SORT OF TURN THIS OFF AND START OVER,
THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
THEY ALL START OUT RED.
THEY THINK THEY'RE AT THE BOTTOM.
AND SLOWLY, BY TALKING TO THEIR NEIGHBORS,
THEY CAN FIGURE OUT HOW HIGH THEY ARE
AND WORK OUT WHERE THEY ARE IN THE ENSEMBLE.
AND THIS ACTUALLY REQUIRES THEM
TO ALL BE COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER.
MM-HMM.
AND IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE FOR THE INFORMATION TO PERCOLATE.
SO IT'S COMPUTING RIGHT NOW.
IT IS, EXACTLY, COMPUTING RIGHT NOW.
AND I CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE I CAN TAKE ONE OF THESE BLOCKS,
AND WE WANT THE BOTTOM ONES TO BE RED,
SO I CAN PUT THIS IN THE BOTTOM HERE.
AND NOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN
IS THE INFORMATION WILL START TO PERCOLATE THROUGH
THAT WHAT THEIR LEVEL WAS THAT THEY WERE ON BEFORE
IS NOT CORRECT,
AND THEY ALL HAVE TO RECALCULATE WHAT'S GOING ON.
SETH'S IDEA IS A REVELATION.
IT MEANS THAT NO MATTER
HOW MANY CATOMS I HAVE IN MY HOLODECK --
10 OR 10 MILLION --
THEY'RE ALL CONTROLLED BY THE SAME SIMPLE PROGRAM.
SO THAT COULD BE IT.
INSTEAD OF BILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND TRILLIONS
OF LINES OF COMPUTER CODE,
ALL YOU DO IS TELL
HOW EACH BLOCK INTERACTS WITH ITS NEIGHBOR.
HOW SIMPLE.
USING CATOM TECHNOLOGY,
I'M ONE STEP CLOSER TO CONVINCING THE "STAR TREK" FANS
THAT MY HOLODECK DESIGN WILL WORK.
THE FLOOR WILL BE COVERED BY THESE INTELLIGENT ROBOTS,
ALLOWING THE SIMULATION OF ANY PHYSICAL FORM,
INCLUDING A FULLY RIDEABLE HORSE.
I THINK MY HOLODECK DESIGN IS TAKING SHAPE.
BUT I STILL HAVE A PROBLEM.
YOU SEE, IF I WALK A FEW STEPS IN ANY DIRECTION,
I GET A BLOODY NOSE.
SO I HAVE TO CREATE A HOLODECK ROOM
WHICH IS COMPACT, FINITE ON THE OUTSIDE --
BUT ON THE INSIDE, IS INFINITE.
[ ELEVATOR BELL DINGS ]
Dr. Kaku: HOLODECKS ARE A GREAT PLACE
TO HAVE FUN, RUN AROUND, AND INDULGE YOUR WILDEST FANTASIES.
BUT I'VE COME UP AGAINST AN OBSTACLE...
WALLS.
ON REAL SPACESHIPS, SPACE ITSELF IS AT A PREMIUM.
IT'S NO FUN HAVING A VIRTUAL PLAYGROUND
THE SIZE OF AN ELEVATOR.
BUT I MAY HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT SOLUTION
HERE AT THE U.S. ARMY'S PROVING GROUND IN ABERDEEN, MARYLAND.
THE TECHNOLOGY THAT I'VE COME TO SEE IS RIGHT BEHIND THESE DOORS.
I'VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT IT, AND NOW I GET A CHANCE TO SEE IT.
THIS SHOULD BE A LOT OF FUN.
THIS IS CALLED THE OMNI-DIRECTIONAL TREADMILL.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO CREATE A LIMITLESS VIRTUAL UNIVERSE
WITHOUT BOUNDARIES.
IN CHARGE OF THIS REMARKABLE MACHINE
IS MILITARY PSYCHOLOGIST KATHY KEHRING.
KATHY, HI.
HELLO.
THIS IS TRULY AMAZING.
CAN YOU TELL ME, WHAT IS THIS TREADMILL USED FOR?
WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO HERE
IS CREATE A MORE REALISTIC VIRTUAL WORLD
SO THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY EXERTING THEMSELVES
WHEN THEY MOVE THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENT
INSTEAD OF JUST SITTING AT A DESK WITH A KEYBOARD OR A MOUSE.
THE SYSTEM RELIES ON MOTION TRACKING,
THE SAME TECHNOLOGY HOLLYWOOD USES
TO BRING ANIMATED CHARACTERS TO LIFE.
AS MAJOR MOYERS WALKS,
THE SYSTEM INSTRUCTS THE TREADMILL
TO MOVE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION,
THANKS TO AN INGENIOUS SYSTEM OF STRAPS.
THERE ARE TWO BASIC MOTIONS OF THE TREADMILL.
FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE THE LARGER MOTION OF THE TREADMILL.
BUT NOTICE THAT THERE ARE 80 SMALL STRAPS.
EACH ONE IS A MINI-TREADMILL.
AND WHEN YOU PUT THESE TWO MOTIONS TOGETHER,
YOU CAN NOW SIMULATE ANY MOTION IN TWO DIMENSIONS.
INGENIOUS.
OF COURSE, I COULDN'T LEAVE HERE
WITHOUT TRYING IT FOR MYSELF.
I'M NOT SURE WHETHER ALL THESE HARNESSES
ARE NECESSARY, THOUGH.
I MEAN, HOW HARD CAN IT BE?
I FEEL LIKE AN ASTRONAUT ABOUT TO BE SHOT INTO SPACE.
IT'S FOR SAFETY PURPOSES.
UH-HUH.
WELL, HERE I GO.
[ MECHANICAL WHIRRING ]
WHOA. [ LAUGHS ]
WHOA.
YOU KNOW, ONE PROBLEM IS
I KEEP LOOKING AT MY FEET AND THINKING ABOUT MY FEET.
NOW, THAT'S WHERE I GET ALL MESSED UP.
HOWEVER, ONCE YOU REALIZE
THAT YOU'RE IMMERSED IN THIS IMAGINARY UNIVERSE,
THEN EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTHLY.
MY FIRST DOOR IN VIRTUAL REALITY.
YOU KNOW, FOR THE 21st CENTURY, THIS IS GREAT.
BUT, HEY, LET'S BE HONEST.
"STAR TREK" -- THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE 23rd, 24th CENTURY.
PICARD AND RIKER, THEY WOULD WANT MOUNTAINS,
CRATERS LIKE ON THE MOON, VALLEYS.
AND FOR THAT, I THINK WE HAVE TO INTRODUCE
SOME RADICALLY NEW IDEAS.
OKAY, WHERE'S THE "OFF" BUTTON?
AHH.
WHOA.
TO BRING MY HOLODECK UP TO "STAR TREK" STANDARDS,
I NEED TO UPGRADE KATHY'S TREADMILL
FROM TWO TO THREE DIMENSIONS.
I BELIEVE THE SOLUTION
IS TO CREATE SEPARATE DEVICES FOR EACH FOOT.
WHEREVER YOU PLACE YOUR FEET, ROBOTIC PLATFORMS WILL FOLLOW.
AND BY ADJUSTING THEIR ANGLE AND HEIGHT,
I CAN EVEN SIMULATE CLIMBING.
THE PLATFORMS WILL ALSO BE COVERED
BY THOUSANDS OF PINLIKE ACTUATORS.
BY ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF THE PINS,
YOU CAN THEREBY CREATE ANY TEXTURE YOU WANT --
WHETHER YOU'RE WALKING ON CRUNCHY SNOW
OR SPLASHING THROUGH WATER
OR EVEN CLIMBING OVER HARD GRANITE.
MY HOLODECK DESIGN IS ALMOST COMPLETE.
WITH ROBOTIC ARMS, I CAN MAKE MY VIRTUAL WORLD INFINITE.
WITH CATOMS,
I CAN TAKE IMAGINARY OBJECTS AND MAKE THEM PHYSICAL.
AND WITH L.E.D. CONTACT LENSES, I CAN MAKE THEM SPRING TO LIFE.
BUT I STILL HAVE THIS NAGGING SUSPICION
THAT I'M MISSING SOMETHING.
TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO...
I'VE GOT THE LOOK OF THE HOLODECK JUST RIGHT.
I EVEN HAVE THE FEEL RIGHT.
AND HEY, MY HOLODECK IS EVEN INFINITE IN SIZE.
BUT IT'S STILL MISSING ONE IMPORTANT INGREDIENT.
AND THAT IS [SNIFFS] THE SENSE OF SMELL.
WE'RE SENSITIVE TO AROUND 10,000 DIFFERENT AROMAS.
SO SIMULATING SMELL IS QUITE A CHALLENGE.
BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH IT...
SOME OF THE TURKISH COFFEE?
SURE.
...BECAUSE IT'S SO CLOSELY LINKED TO OUR EMOTIONS,
OUR SENSE OF PLACE, AND OUR MEMORIES.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS A CHILD,
MY MOTHER USED TO MAKE THE MOST DELICIOUS MEAT PIE,
AND I CAN STILL SMELL THE AROMA AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.
IF I'M GONNA BUILD A REALISTIC HOLODECK,
I'VE SIMPLY GOT TO INCORPORATE THE SENSE OF SMELL.
YOUR RECEIPT. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY.
THANK YOU.
IT'S EASY TO SIMULATE ANY COLOR
BY BLENDING THE PRIMARIES -- RED, GREEN, AND BLUE --
IN THE RIGHT PROPORTION.
BUT SIMULATING AN AROMA IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT,
BECAUSE THERE'S NO PRIMARY SMELL TO MIX.
EACH SMELL MOLECULE IS UNIQUE,
AND THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF THEM.
MY HOLODECK HAS TO HAVE A PALATE OF SMELLS,
A LIBRARY OF THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF SMELLS
TO EVOKE A CERTAIN ATMOSPHERE.
LET'S SAY ONE DAY
YOU WANT TO RE-CREATE A SCENE FROM THE WILD WEST.
MY HOLODECK HAS TO HAVE ON CALL
THE SMELLS OF LEATHER, HAY,
HORSES, FARM ANIMALS, AND GUNPOWDER
TO MAKE IT AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE.
MY HOLODECK DESIGN IS COMPLETE.
IT'S TIME TO REVEAL IT TO THE SCI-FI FANS.
I JUST HOPE IT'S GOOD ENOUGH
TO FULFILL THEIR WILDEST FANTASIES.
Man: I WOULD USE THE HOLODECK
TO GO SEE AWESOME CONCERTS THAT I NEVER WENT TO.
I WOULD LOVE TO GO BE WITH THE FOUNDING FATHERS
WHEN THEY FOUNDED THE COUNTRY.
THE COMEBACK OF ELVIS. I'D GO SEE THAT.
THE BEATLES AT SHEA. I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT.
I'D GO SEE THE BAND DO THE LAST WALTZ IN PERSON.
THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
I COULD ACTUALLY BE IN "STAR TREK."
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
TODAY I'M GONNA TEACH YOU HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN HOLODECK.
NOW, HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A TRIP
TO A DESERTED TROPICAL ISLAND FOR A VACATION?
RAISE YOUR HAND.
YEAH!
AND HOW MANY OF YOU INSTEAD WOULD RATHER CREATE
A WORLD OF MISCHIEF, MAYHEM, AND CHAOS
TO CARRY OUT ALL YOUR DEGENERATE FANTASIES?
RAISE YOUR HAND.
YEAH!
WELL, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO DO IT.
LET'S PUT YOU IN A HOLODECK.
NEARLY EVERY SURFACE WILL BE COVERED BY LOUDSPEAKERS,
FOR A TRULY REALISTIC AUDIO EXPERIENCE.
PRETTY UGLY, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.
BECAUSE LOOK.
WE CREATE VIRTUAL REALITY IN YOUR CONTACT LENS.
EACH LENS PROJECTS AN IMAGE
DIRECTLY ONTO THE RETINA OF YOUR EYE
SO THAT EVERYTHING YOU WILL SEE IS COMPUTER-GENERATED.
EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, A NEW REALITY.
TO MAKE THESE WORLDS AS BIG AS YOU LIKE,
ROBOTIC PLATFORMS ALLOW YOU TO WALK FOR MILES,
INCLUDING UP AND DOWN SLOPES.
VARIABLE PIN TECHNOLOGY UNDER EACH FOOT
MAKES THE EXPERIENCE EVEN MORE REALISTIC.
SO THAT THIS IS INDISTINGUISHABLE
FROM RUNNING OVER ROCKS, RUNNING OVER VEGETATION,
RUNNING OVER THE SNOW.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW
THAT CAPTAIN PICARD RIDES A HORSE.
HOW ARE WE GONNA DUPLICATE THAT?
WITH SOMETHING CALLED CATOM TECHNOLOGY.
MILLIONS OF TINY ROBOTS LINE THE FLOOR OF THE HOLODECK
AND SPRING UP TO ORDER.
THEY CAN MORPH INTO ANY CONCEIVABLE SHAPE,
INCLUDING A TRUSTY STEED.
THIS IS CALLED PROGRAMMABLE MATTER,
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MAY HAVE,
PERHAPS, IN THE COMING DECADES.
AND THEN, LAST, THE SENSE OF SMELL.
MY HOLODECK HOLDS 10,000 CANISTERS --
ONE FOR EVERY POSSIBLE ODOR,
ENSURING EACH VIRTUAL WORLD SMELLS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS.
SO, HOW MANY OF YOU NOW WANT TO TAKE A TRIP IN VIRTUAL REALITY?
RAISE YOUR HANDS.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
I THINK THAT'S AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY GET
TO HAVING A HOLODECK,
USING THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TODAY.
THE WHOLE WALKING CONTRAPTION WITH THE SURFACE TECHNOLOGY --
THAT WAS JUST ONE OF THE BEST REVEALS I'VE SEEN --
I MEAN, JUST MIND-BLOWING.
I LOVED IT ENTIRELY.
THE HOLODECK IS JUST AWESOME.
I'M JUST GONNA TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO BACKFLIPS IN IT,
BUT...
I THINK "STAR TREK" FANS IN GENERAL
WOULD THINK THIS WAS THE CLOSEST THING
THAT THEY'D EVER SEE IN THEIR LIFETIME TO A HOLODECK.
AND I THINK MAYBE IN OUR LIFETIME, IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.