Star Trek fans and hackers have a lot of overlap, to the surprise of no one. In fact, Star Trek has been inspiring everyone from tech tinkerers to real-life astronauts since it debuted in the 1960s. Here’s an excellent example: One Hackaday Superconference attendee 3D-printed a badge cover that makes it look like a Starfleet communicator. Fascinating.
There’s a long tradition of hacker conferences with fun electronic badges, and the Hackaday Superconference badge is no exception. The tiny, card-sized computer includes an LCD screen and keyboard, plus a wireless antenna, as the badges are intended to form a mesh network. Attendees can enter chat rooms on various topics right from the gadget, which is why it’s called the “Communicator Badge.” The whole conference has a Star Trek theme, inviting several artists and designers who’ve worked on the series.
These include Michael Okuda, who designed the iconic “LCARS” fictional computer interface. In case you couldn’t tell from my homemade, custom-engraved mechanical keyboard below, I’m kind of a big fan of his work in particular.
Michael Crider / Foundry
But all this wasn’t enough for one conference attendee. Even before the conference started, 3D printing aficionado Thomas Flummer created a special case for the electronics of the badge, nailing the design language of the flip-out Communicator from the original series. This gadget has remained a steady part of pop culture for almost 60 years, famously inspiring the design of real phones like the Motorola StarTac.
Flummer’s case turns the badge into a widebody version of the classic Communicator, complete with the flip cover and its brass-colored grille. Cutouts for all the functions are included, like the keys, screen, and separate wireless antenna. It’s freakin’ gorgeous, both a work of art on its own and a loving tribute to both Star Trek and DIY tech.
And here’s the kicker: I need it. I need like Troi needs chocolate, like Neelix needs leola root, and like Scotty needs a glass of milk and a good night’s rest. Hell, the only reason I asked Brad if I could write this article is because the little Star Trek nerd inside me craves a tiny computer that looks like it came from an Enterprise supply closet.
I’m a doctor writer, not a hacker. I couldn’t code my way out of a leaky airlock. And I’ll be on the other side of the country when the conference starts tomorrow anyway. But I’m begging the attendees, please, get me one of those badges, and I’ll handle the 3D printing somehow. I’ll trade you every self-sealing stem bolt I’ve got, and you can have my Commander Riker costume after Halloween.
