With numerous series that have informed not only our pop culture but also who we are as people, Star Trek may be considered one of the most influential franchises of the 20th century - but it's never had a large budget.

The original series was filmed on a shoestring, so whenever a new piece of tech was needed, it was usually up to the Star Trek props department to make something out of nothing. That inventive nature continued into the 1980s and '90s with Star Trek TNG, as well as for the props and the equipment used on DS9. The crew behind Star Trek has always tried to keep costs low, and that means building props out of everything from children’s toys to household items. In many instances, the items used on the show have been rearranged, repainted, and altered to look like they fit in with life in the future, but a few props were just used wholesale without any changes.

Whether you’re interested in the ingenuity of the Star Trek production staff, or you're trying to make your own medical scanner for the next convention, we’ve got you covered.