I'm not handy enough to build a roller coaster in the backyard for my kids, so they will have to make do with a Holodeck. Thanks to new technologies, the Holodeck you saw on Star Trek years ago is becoming possible. Three technologies, have recently emerged which, when combined, make Holodecks a reality:

Room-scale Virtual Reality with Vive and hand-controllers. The Rift can do room-scale as well now. Streaming software like OBS that composites, in real-time, the video shot from camera with the virtual world and allows you to stream it to places like Twitch and Facebook. The game engine, Unity, which supports mixed-reality by default. Any 3D game you compile with Unity will have foreground and background information in comparison to where the player is standing. Critical to know if you want to render objects in front or behind someone.

If you haven't had a chance to try VR yet, the best way I can describe it is that it "transports you." You no longer think you are in your living room, but you believe you have been moved to some other reality. However, the big challenge with VR is that no description does it justice. You must actually try VR to appreciate it. Mixed-reality partially solves this by giving you a view into the world of the VR user.

Using Ferengi rules of acquisition #118, I headed out to Amazon and bought some supplies:

Shopping list:

Razer Ripsaw - an HDMI capture card so I could stream from my video card to the PC Some large, cheap green screens for masking out the Holodeck area. Some studio lights to take out any shadows from the green screen area. A couple standard issue Star Trek uniforms

I already had an HTC Vive for the VR and a capable PC and video camera. The ship bridge has a webcam pointed at it and helps control the experience.

Wiring everything up and configuring the software can be challenging but it did make for a good project with the kids. Two important links that explain the trickier parts:

Getting Started with Mixed Reality in 9 Easy Steps details how to set up OBS and the games so they will work in mixed-reality.

How to Configure and Edit Mixed Reality Videos walks through setting up a virtual camera. I have a real camera pointed into the Holodeck but I also need a virtual one that gives a view into the game world.

Once you get both of those working, it's just a matter of customizing the Holodeck to be your own. I created a skill with the Amazon echo service to control the Holodeck and built some custom OBS profiles so it looked more like a Holodeck. I also grabbed a bunch of Holodeck sounds and integrated them into the actions.

The video above shows a real-time example of the Holodeck in action. Earlier this week I used the Holodeck to stream a short concert to my friends on Facebook.

"At its very core, virtual reality is about being freed from the limitations of actual reality. Carrying your virtual reality with you, and being able to jump into it whenever and wherever you want, qualitatively changes the experience for the better." - John Carmack

I've already started integrating this technology into my work. I do conference calls and "all-hands calls" with a higher level of engagement using these technologies. I also have recorded a video on leadership for a company event using the Holodeck. As we see these technologies emerge, it will be fun to see what becomes possible.