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The 21st century has been a real disappointment so far. Our robot servants top out at mediocre vaccums, self-driving cars are years away (and won't be able to fly even when they do arrive), and we're closer to inventing tricorders than phasers. A tricorder. Who wants a goddamn medical scanner when you could be blasting baddies with awesome handheld lasers?

Roomba has some problems with the apartment. Roomba does not like my dining room table. Roomba has...
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It turns out that weaponized lasers, also known as Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs), aren't all that different from the non-lethal variety you use to amuse your cat. Just like conventional models, a DEW produces a single synchronized wavelength of tightly focused, intense light that can travel exceptionally long distances. In fact, many lasers today-even cheap, handheld pointers-are still pretty dangerous in certain circumstances. Most notably, they can cause temporary to permanent blindness, though this usage is banned under the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons. Yes, that's a thing.

While the PBLW bans lasers as blinding implements, it doesn't say anything about using them to light up hostiles like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Weaponized lasers, such as the ones currently being installed on fighter jets, melting outboard motors, or shooting mortars and other incoming projectiles out of the sky, operate by hitting a target with a stream of syncopated light pulses. As each pulse strikes the target, it imparts energy, which creates heat. As the target surface heats, it rapidly expands and ablates (a form of evaporative erosion). In other words: Powerful lasers can put holes in shit. What's more, DEWs are exceptionally precise, have zero recoil, and their beams move at light speed. Official* military assessment of the combat potential for weaponized lasers: fucking awesome. So why don't we have them?

It was science fiction before, but now it's really happening, Young Skywalker: The US Navy and ...
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It's not for lack of trying. Nations have been attempting to build DEWs since Robert Watson-Watt investigated "Death Rays" for the British Air Ministry in 1935 (and stumbled upon radar technology). Currently, the US government is exploring a variety of different lasing methods including solid-state lasers, which utilize a solid crystal lasing medium, gas lasers that use reactive helium-neon or carbon dioxide to shoot infrared beams, excimer lasers that use a combination of reactive and inert gases to shoot ultraviolet beams, and florescent dye lasers that can be "tuned" to fire within a specific wavelength range. Unfortunately, all of these lasers suffer from a common technological limitation called divergence.

As Alan Fry, Deputy Director, LCLS Laser Science and Technology Division at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory explains,

A laser beam will diverge (get larger) at a rate that depends on the beam size and the wavelength. Long wavelengths diverge more rapidly than short wavelengths. With the same original beam size, a 1nm wavelength X-ray laser beam will diverge 633 times less than the red 633nm He:Ne lasers that are used to scan the bar codes on your groceries. If you are making a long ranger laser rifle, you will do a bit better with shorter wavelengths in terms of the beam size hitting your target (say blue light instead of red light), but short wavelengths are more prone to scatter from particulates in the air (which the main reason that the sky is blue), so there are trade-offs. A larger laser beam will diverge less, but then it deposits less energy per unit area, which isn't good if you're trying to destroy the thing you are hitting.

Basically, short wavelength laser beams cause more damage to a smaller area but require greater accuracy (like hunting rifles) while long wavelength beams inflict less damage over a larger area but are easier to aim (like shotguns).

And divergence isn't the only issue. Blooming, where the energy of a sufficiently powerful laser breaks down the air around it into plasma, considerably depletes the energy of the beam. The presence of rain, snow, dust, fog, smoke, or dust in the air makes it worse.

To get around this issue, researchers from MIT and the US Army have tried using extremely short beam pulses and focusing multiple smaller lasers-that aren't individually powerful enough to bloom-on a single target, both with limited success. Conversely, electrolasers have shown promise in overcoming blooming by using the plasma created by the beam as a tunnel through which it discharges a powerful electric current. It's essentially a long range stun gun that fires laser beams rather than mechanical leads before zapping you.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle standing between the real world and GI Joe, though, is power. It's not like a hand-held laser is going to run on a couple of D batteries. Generating the power necessary for such beams currently requires truck-sized support equipment. The current state of electrochemical battery technology simply isn't advanced enough to stuff a sufficient amount of energy into a clip-sized storage device. Plus, all that energy passing through a relatively small, rifle-sized device is going to generate a lot of heat, which means that weapons will need active (read: energy sucking) cooling systems, or as-yet undeveloped superconductors, in order to fire more rapidly than your standard musket.

Nobody thinks about batteries-until they've run out of juice, of course. But this humble and...
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In short: we don't have the energy sources or lensing capabilities for practical handheld lasers. Yet. But honestly, given recent events, the lag from sci-fi to reality might not be such a bad thing.

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The 21st century has been a real disappointment so far. Our robot servants top out at mediocre vaccums, self-driving cars are years away (and won't be able to fly even when they do arrive), and we're closer to inventing tricorders than phasers. A tricorder.

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He called it the "McCoy Home Health Tablet", and promised it would instantly deliver patient data to doctors.

In other words, he was pitching the legendary Tricorder from Star Trek, even naming it after Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the blue-clad, very irritable medical officer from the 1960s show.

It was a scam. The device didn't exist, and the man was caught and convicted for his crimes. But as a testimony to how quickly reality catches up with fantasy nowadays, less than two years later the Tricorder does exist. And it works.

The Bluetooth doctor

It's called "Scanadu Scout" -- after Xanadu, an ancient city of great splendor and scientific progress, made famous by English poet S. T. Coleridge -- and the greatest thing about it is that it's not a design concept, nor a million-dollar prototype, but an actual product. After a successful crowdfunding round via Indiegogo, the Scanadu has began shipping to backers at the end of January.

It is a tiny, round and rigorously white device -- even though a black version is in the plans -- and it works by placing it on one's forehead.

Through its sensor, and in a matter of seconds, the Scanadu measures heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen level and provides a complete ECG reading.

Just like "Bones"

The device is the brainchild of Walter De Brouwer, a Belgian entrepreneur who had to learn how hospitals work -- and don't work -- the hard way after his son suffered brain damage as the consequence of a fall.

His inspiration came directly from science fiction: "Star Trek was more than just a movie, it was a business plan," he told CNN's Nick Glass.

In Star Trek, the Tricorder was handled by a doctor, but De Brouwer thinks the most revolutionary aspect of the Scanadu is that it can be used by anyone: "We've medicalised your smartphone. You can now check your health as easily as your email. People will no longer ask if there's a doctor on the plane, but if there's a Tricorder."

The Scanadu Scout is one of the ten finalists of the Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize, a contest to create an affordable, handheld device that consumers can use to diagnose their medical conditions at home.

Real word testing

Scanadu operates out of the NASA Research Park in California: "Each of us has more computer power in his pocket now than the whole of NASA in the 1960s when they launched Apollo," notes De Brouwer.

The device is not yet available to purchase, pending FDA approval, but those who contributed to the Indiegogo campaign are already receiving it and providing "in the wild" testing:

The comparison with the Tricorder, even in the form of a toy replica, is an obvious one:

The company is also working on another product, called the Scanaflo, which is a complete urine test kit that can be used at home.

Health through lasers

De Brouwer's vision for the future is even more forward thinking than his current achievements: "I think in ten years from now we'll be relying heavily on silicon lasers," he says.

The reason for firing a laser beam at a patient? "We have to think of patients as non-cooperative, because we're lazy, we forget to go to the doctor. With lasers, our medical data can be taken when we pass in front of one of the lasers in our home, or in our car. We will be unaware. But healthier."

Read more from Make, Create, Innovate:

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scanadu: the medical tricorder from star trek is here - cnn

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Scanadu: The medical Tricorder from Star Trek is here - CNN

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He called it the "McCoy Home Health Tablet", and promised it would instantly deliver patient data to doctors. In other words, he was pitching the legendary Tricorder from Star Trek, even naming it after Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the blue-clad, very irritable medical officer from the 1960s show. It was a scam.

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No, the Communicator is a Bluetooth enabled handset. This means that the Communicator can wirelessly send and receive audio to and from a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone (or Bluetooth enabled music player) within a range of about five metres. Therefore, in order to use the Communicator to talk to other people, you will need a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone with which the Communicator will have to be paired and connected.

Yes, provided you have a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone and the Communicator is paired with it, within range and connected to it.

When a call comes in, the Communicator will play the hailing beep and flipping open the antenna grille will answer the call.

The Communicator does not have a numeric keypad or graphical display, so calls may only be initiated via the Communicator if it is paired with and connected to a mobile phone that supports voice dialing from a hands-free Bluetooth headset, or by using the 'last number redial' function (see below).

To make a call:

Single click the right button to initiate voice dialing.

Once voice dialing is initiated the Communicator will play speech prompts and confirmation tones from your mobile through the Communicator's speaker and your mobile phone will use the Communicator's microphone.

For some phones, an internet connection is required for voice dialing.

IMPORTANT: Please check your mobile phone's user manual to find out if your mobile phone supports voice dialing from a Bluetooth headset, and best way to activate and use it. There are some mobile phones that can only use voice dialing if a key is pressed on the mobile phone to initiate voice dialing. You will not be able to use a phone like this for voice dialing from the Communicator. Also, identical mobile phones may handle remote voice dialing differently depending on what version of operating system software they currently have installed.

Last number redial

Press and hold the right button for last number redial. This can be useful where your mobile phone doesn't support remote voice dialing, but you would still like to make a call from your Communicator.

The Communicator has a built-in rechargeable lithium polymer power cell that is recharged via the USB cable supplied with the Communicator. (Any good quality USB to micro-USB cable may also be used). The Communicator handset is charged by placing it on the charging base and held in place by magnetic catches.

For most users the answer is a definite "Yes!". We have spent thousands of hours and taken great care to make this Communicator replica as accurate as possible to the last known screen-used hero prop that Shatner and Nimoy used in the original series of Star Trek. In order to make it so accurate we took high-resolution 3D structured light scans of the "Alpha" original hero prop. To complement the "Alpha" scans we took numerous photographs and measurements, 3D laser scanned the "Epsilon" static screen-used prop, and took castings from (and weighed the components of) the "Zeta" static prop. We also made use of HeroComm.com's extensive access to samples of authentic original materials, which were kindly loaned to us to make sure that our Communicator not only followed the data of the original accurately, but also captured the nuances of the original prop's intention.

However, in order to make the Communicator manufacturable and more affordable, and to iron out some of the original's inconsistencies, we have had to make some slight changes, and as such, this replica may be considered to be an idealised version of the original hero prop.
Materials
The original hero prop was made from a range of different materials including thermoformed Kydex sheet material, brass, and aluminium. In order to keep the cost as reasonable as possible we have used the nearest equivalent material that is suitable for modern manufacturing methods. Where metal was used in the construction of the hero prop, we have used metal in the Communicator replica.

The Main Housing

The hero prop's main housing was made by thermoforming a sheet of Kydex material over a specially shaped tool. The Kydex had a particular pattern designed to replicate a pigskin texture. Due to the process, the texture stretched slightly at the sides, where the sheet was drawn down over the steeper draft angles of the housing. Our Communicator could not be made using thermoforming due to the need for internal fixings, so as a result our replica's housing is made from injection-moulded ABS. However, the Kydex pattern was carefully reproduced using an advanced 3D laser etching process to create the pattern on the surface of the mould tool. One of the benefits of using this process is that we were able to measure the distortion of the original sheet material and recreate it on the texture of the injection-moulded part.

The Antenna Grille

The hero prop's antenna grille was made by forming a sheet of perforated brass to give it its distinctive rounded-corner box shape. This was then soldered onto a brass wire that was glued into the turned brass hinge axle. For our Communicator for the purposes of robustness we have used steel for the grille and the supporting wire and coated it in a gold metallic finish. The hinge axle is die cast zinc.

The Mid-Plate

The hero prop's mid-plate was a simple shape cut out of a sheet of aluminium. While our Communicator's mid-plate looks identical on the outside, inside the Communicator it has a complex design that is a structural element, providing a fixing for many internal parts and a strong hinge stop for the antenna grille. As a result our Communicator's mid-plate is manufactured in die-cast zinc, causing the overall weight of our replica to be around 27 grams heavier than the screen-used "Alpha" hero prop.

The Moiré Bezel

In the hero prop, where aluminium was used for the bezel, we have copied this exactly using CNC-machined aerospace-grade aluminium. On the "Alpha" hero prop, the bezel was mounted not quite centrally onto the top of the housing - we have corrected this imperfection for our product.

The Jewels

The hero prop's jewels were Swarovski jewels mounted on the upturned ends of vacuum metallised slot car wheel hubs. The left and right jewels were sputter coated in gold to give them an iridescent AB (Aurora Borealis) look. The hero prop jewels did not light up and were prone to falling off. Our Communicator's jewels do light up and need to be fixed permanently in place. The replica jewels are injection moulded - with facets underneath to catch the light. The left and right jewels are also sputter coated in a gold layer to give them that authentic iridescent AB (Aurora Borealis) appearance. Light pipes connect the jewels to LEDs inside the main housing, and chromium-plated injection-moulded mounts house and fix the jewels permanently in position. In the "Alpha" prop, the jewels were not evenly spaced across the housing - this was not an intentional aspect of the design so we have corrected the spacing for our product.

The Buttons

The hero prop had vacuum-metallised slot car wheel hubs as buttons. The original hubs were injection moulded in yellow plastic that was coated in a very thin layer of shiny metal. As a result it wore off during handling, revealing the plastic underneath. Our Communicator uses specially moulded buttons that are more heavily plated (with true chrome electroplating) and will be much less prone to surface wear.
Moiré winder
The "Alpha" hero prop's moiré pattern rotated, turned by a pocket watch mechanism inside the prop. This was wound up through a brass tube that poked out of the main housing at the front under the mid-plate. After careful consideration,we decided that this aspect of the hero prop was not intended to be shown on screen and as a result was removed from our design. To make room inside the Communicator for the Bluetooth wireless components battery and speaker, the moiré screen is rotated by a miniature stepper motor.

Yes. The Communicator is supplied with with a USB charging cable, but any good quality micro-USB cable may be used to power the charging stand and thus charge up the Communicator.

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Star Trek Communicator | The Wand Company

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No, the Communicator is a Bluetooth enabled handset. This means that the Communicator can wirelessly send and receive audio to and from a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone (or Bluetooth enabled music player) within a range of about five metres.

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Nearly everyone knows about the automatically opening doors in Star Trek. A ring of the doorbell and a voice command such as, "Enter," opened the doors and visitors were allowed entry. Today's doors are very similar but not quite as advanced as those on the USS Starship Enterprise. We will continue to improve the doors as technological advances allow. You never know, we could end up with some pretty awesome automatic sliding doors.

For now, we're very happy to discuss the multitude of options and reasons you should install an AutoSlide door system. We have several different varieties and they're available in white or black to match or complement the decor of nearly every home. Our door openers work with most types of sliding doors including:

Sliding glass doors provide a beautiful way to view the outdoors from the comfort of your home. Automatic sliding doors add a great deal to the functionality of the doors by allowing you to pass from inside to outside without effort. Our Autoslide system offers:

Don't worry about shifting everything you're carrying from one arm to the other to open the door. Elderly people don't have to release their hold on a cane, walker, or even risk trying to stand from their wheelchair to open the door. Our system is extremely useful and helpful for people with mobility issues.

Security - Our electric locking iLock Motor unlocks when you engage the Autoslide system, but does not permit uninvited guests into your home. Secure access from the outside can be provided via our wireless numeric keypad.

Pet Freedom - We love pets and we love the ability to allow them the outdoor time they need. We also understand how inconvenient it can be to drop everything you're doing to go open the door for your pets. Our pet door option includes collar tags that allow your pets the freedom to come and go as they please. You may lock the pet door system any time you wish, though it is designed to work one of three ways - collar tag, motion sensor, or a pressure sensor mat under the door mat.

Low Energy Consumption - The entire Autoslide system doesn't use enough power to cause an increase in your power bill. Its power pack converts the system into a low voltage unit that draws only 1.9 amps.

Voice Activated Control - We are currently working with integrating Amazon's Echo System into Autoslide to provide a voice activation option.

Visit the website for more information. You may also call us at 813-885-DOOR (3667) to talk with one of our home automation experts. We will gladly take the time to answer all of your questions about our AutoSlide door system or schedule an in-home consultation to assess your family's automation needs.

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Think Automatic Doors are Only for Star Trek?

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Nearly everyone knows about the automatically opening doors in Star Trek. A ring of the doorbell and a voice command such as, "Enter," opened the doors and visitors were allowed entry. Today's doors are very similar but not quite as advanced as those on the USS Starship Enterprise.

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"Star Trek" Plato's Stepchildren (TV Episode 1968)

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Directed by David Alexander. With William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Michael Dunn. After Dr. McCoy helps the leader of a planet populated by people with powerful psionic abilities, they decide to force him to stay by torturing his comrades until he submits.