If your futuristic dreams are populated by visions of the Star Trek Holodeck, then you might want to take a trip to good ol’ Stony Brook University. Gizmodo reports that researchers there have spent $2 million to construct a 360-degree, 1.5 gigapixel resolution display called the Reality Deck, and it’s everything Commander Riker ever wanted. Read More
Sometimes when you can’t make the trip to Risa, you might feel the need to recreate the pleasure planet in a fully-immersive alternate reality. Who wouldn’t? Ars Technica reports that Microsoft filed a patent last year for a “Holodeck-style, full room immersive display.” Score one for the Star Trek nerds.
The patent, of course, goes hand-in-hand with the Xbox 360′s Kinect add-on, which allows for virtual reality-like game play where users can interact with elements on the TV by moving around in their own physical environment. Microsoft’s patent would allow users to do this, but in a literal 360-degree field, meaning that even the walls, floor and ceiling would become part of the game. Read More
