Detailed replica builds and cosplaying are long-standing pillars of any geeky fandom, and we always love to see them. That’s why we were excited to see one Star Trek: Voyager fan’s impressive replica build of a concept tricorder from the show.
Although the show hasn’t been on the air for roughly 20 years, it boasted plenty of creative and futuristic vibes, sets, and devices. An updated version of the iconic tricorder was one of many planned concepts for the show, but a recycled prop from Star Trek: The Next Generation was used instead as a means to keep costs down for the show. Given all the special effects needed to achieve the show’s wonderful design, such a budget cut is (almost) understandable.
Fortunately, one dedicated (and clever) fan—known as Mangy_dog on YouTube—wanted to see it come to life, so he took the initiative and built it himself. Watch the device come to life in this exciting video:
It’s worth noting that the entire build expands over three videos in total (gotta refine the user interface and animations, and take a deeper dive into the internal hardware, after all). However, this first video gets the devices up and working in display mode, at least, and it’s all you need to watch if you want to see the final result. And wow, is it ever stunning!
We think Mangy_dog did a fantastic job with this build! It was a natural choice for a project given his love of Star Trek and his incredible skill with electronics. We love all the flashing LEDs and various LCD displays and buttons. Maybe Mangy_dog will decide to mass-produce it or take commissions one day, because we want one!
via Gizmodo
