The Coolest Star Trek Gadgets

Star Trek's fantastic future debuted on NBC in 1966. Helping achieve an exciting futuristic look was a ton of awesome tools. These props simulated incredibly cool gadgets, which Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock employed to seek out new life and explore strange worlds. Versions of these terrific toys are now used in our own world.

A new Star Trek film from director JJ Abrams is now filming, with a scheduled release in December 2008. No doubt these gadgets will be in the new movie to thrill us once again.

Communicator

This one is all around us. Flip mobile phones remind us of Star Trek's walkie-talkie radios. With wireless headsets and bluetooth ear clips, using a cell phone like Kirk almost seems obsolete now. However if you recall Lt. Uhura's silver earpiece, you see a parallel between our current cell ear devices. Uhura's earpiece was larger, but in most respects it functioned much as cellular bluetooth sets.

Phaser

Many think this was a laser or ray gun. Although it was a deadly weapon, it could also be set to merely stun. For years now the similar sounding TASER, has enabled law enforcement professionals to take violent people into custody without using deadly force. Phasers can also be used as cutting tools or to provide heat to a chilly away team on a cold planet.

Tricorder

Tricorders were portable computers, but also much more. The name came from tri for three and corder for recorder. It basically meant a device, which could sense, record and process three main things: Geological for planet terrain, Biological for lifeform study and Meteorological for weather patterns and atmosphere. Companies have actually produced similar devices and although they're expensive and bulky, the constant shrinking of technology may see explorers using hand held devices to determine unknown elements during their own treks.

PADD

Personal Access Display Device. Is your Blackberry, Palm Pilot or Tablet PC a PADD? These paper thin devices were used by Star Trek crew as notepads, books and for many other uses. As our own real life tech becomes smaller and lighter, we all probably will use these to save on paper, better organize and be more productive.

Geordi's VISOR

Geordi LaForge, played by actor Levar Burton, was a pioneering character for Star Trek and television in general. LaForge was blind and used a mechanical device which wrapped around his eyes to give him sight. The VISOR stood for Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement. It allowed Geordi to see in infra-red and ultra violet. Later in the feature film Star Trek: First Contact, Geordi got superior cybernetic implants, so his VISOR was abandoned.

Medical Hypospray

First seen in original Star Trek as Dr. McCoy tended patients - both human and alien - this was actually invented in real life way before Starship use. It's called a jet injector and was used by many countries and the military for vaccinations. Bones would hold it against a person's skin and press, as a hiss sounded and medication was injected.

Two drawbacks in real life is cross infection between uses and accidental injections. Since hypodermic needles are disposable, once used they're thrown away. With jet injectors, many doses are contained within the device and if not careful can cause overdose. In one of Star Trek's most popular episodes "City On The Edge Of Forever", Dr. McCoy is accidentally injected with an extreme stimulant which caused temporary insanity.

Bio-Bed

Before using the hypospray, Dr. McCoy or Dr. Crusher would diagnose their patients using their sickbay beds. These beds were hooked into advanced medical diagnostic equipment which would determine cardio function, respiration, brain wave status and much more. Hospitals now have similar systems to allow the constant monitoring of patients.