by Eric Mack
July 24, 2012 3:34 PM PDT
http://news.cnet.com
"Welcome to Project Holodeck, would you like to make my day?"
(Credit: Project Holodeck)
Infiltrating the Borg or having dinner with Deanna Troi are just a few of things that could soon become a (virtual) reality with some help from a team based at the University of Southern California.
Project Holodeck is exactly what it sounds like -- a very serious effort to make the iconic virtual-reality room from "Star Trek" an actual reality.
Unlike on the U.S.S. Enterprise, where Lt. Cmdr. Data might just stroll into a wild west casino in his regular uniform with no extra equipment, Project Holodeck relies on an Oculus Rift headset for visuals, PlayStation Move for head tracking, and the Razer Hydra to monitor body movements. The current holodeck room is at least a little bit interactive, as well, with fans that are jacked into the system to simulate wind.
The team is also developing a game to show off the setup called Wild Skies, which will require players to fly an airship and also engage in a little combat using swords and guns. They plan to go on the road with their Holodeck system, hitting venues like Maker Faire in the near future.
Until then, you can see the system in action in the video below -- this early demo features footage from the Sega Dreamcast game Skies of Arcadia, which Wild Skies seems to be roughly modeled on. Sadly, Cmdr. Troi is nowhere to be seen in this one.