Star Trek is getting closer to reality than you think—at least when it comes to their Holodeck concept. In the TV series, the Holodeck was an enclosed room where holographic images were projected onto the walls and objects in the room, allowing the user to feel as if they were in the projected environment, and essentially giving them a virtual vacation even though they were confined to their ship.

Researchers at Microsoft have developed a similar experience with RoomAlive—a holographic experience for gameplay.

According to FastCompany Design (fastcodesign.com), “this new system can turn every surface in a room–from the floor to the couch cushions to your own skin–into a glowing screen that reacts to your movement. It’s as if your whole analog world has been digitized. And that digital world can see where you’re looking, pointing, and touching, and adapt itself accordingly.”

How does it work? “The core unit of RoomAlive is called a node, and each node has three parts: A projector, a Kinect camera for depth sensing, and a computer. The node is installed to the ceiling of a room, where it creates a 3-D map of what it sees through the Kinect. Then, it can “projection map” the space, applying a coat of digital paint to the room,” the article states. “Using as few as three of these nodes, Microsoft Research can map the average living room with a RoomAlive skin.”

Watch the video to find out more:

Read the full article and watch more videos: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3036628/microsoft-can-now-turn-any-space-into-the-holodeck?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=codesign-daily&position=1&partner=newsletter