Star Trek Technology
V
VISOR
Canon - Official Star Trek Technology
Acronym for Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement, a device
Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge used until 2373 to overcome his blindness.
The VISOR was not only sensitive to the visible spectrum, but to a wide
range of electromagnetic radiation. By 2373, the VISOR has been replaced
by bionic eye implants.
In the real world the basic functionality of Geordi's VISOR will possibly
be achieved within the next decades, provided that our understanding
of seeing (which takes place in the brain as well as within the eyes)
is improved. Suited sensors will be available very soon. However, subspace
physics will most probably not be involved. The subspace technobabble
obviously serves to emphasize that the VISOR is a 24th century high-tech
device, and allows stories in which Geordi is abducted and his VISOR
misused for espionage (TNG: "The Mind's Eye", "Star Trek:
Generations"). Still, the question arises why virtually any gadget
must be subspace-based as if there were no other technologies in the
24th century. Geordi is blind since his birth, so he got used to see
the wide spectrum provided by the VISOR, while his view was confusing
for the other crew members, as was shown in TNG: "Heart of Glory".
In TNG: "Hide and Q", Q fulfills Geordi's wish to perceive
his environment the same way as other people. However, the same could
be achieved with a simple set of filters available in any photography
shop or with an electronic bandwidth reduction of the sensor element.
Content thanks to "www.ex-astris-scientia.org"
Viewscreen
Canon - Official Star Trek Technology
Screen used for navigation, communication and various other purposes,
most notably as the main viewscreen in bridge designs of most races.
Viewscreens (and image sensors) of the future may have on the order
of one billion pixels, but for mere display they won't need more than
the human eye can resolve. The data rate necessary for a real-time transmission
(bandwidths of several gigabits per second) should be no problem. It
has been suggested that all main viewscreens are holographic already
since the time of TOS, thereby allowing to view a scene from different
angles for better orientation.
Content thanks to "www.ex-astris-scientia.org"
Vinculum
Canon - Official Star Trek Technology
Part of a Borg ship roughly equivalent to a computer core.
Content thanks to "www.ex-astris-scientia.org"
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