LCARS

"PADD" redirects here. For the American WWII term, see Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts.

LCARS
LCARS screens, as seen in Star Trek Nemesis
Plot element from the Star Trek franchise
First appearance	Star Trek: The Next Generation
Created by	Michael Okuda[1]
Genre	Science fiction
In-story information
Type	Computer operating system

In the Star Trek fictional universe, LCARS ( /ˈɛlkɑrz/; an acronym for Library Computer Access/Retrieval System) is a fictional computer operating system depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures. Within Star Trek chronology, the term was first used in Star Trek: The Next Generation and in subsequent shows. In a real-world context, "LCARS" is frequently used to describe the style of the computer displays of the LCARS system, especially the screens from The Next Generation.

Production

LCARS-style desktop wallpaper

The LCARS graphical user interface was designed by scenic art supervisor and technical consultant Michael Okuda. The original design concept was influenced by a request from Gene Roddenberry that the instrument panels not have a great deal of activity on them. This minimalized look was designed to give a sense that the technology was much more advanced than in the original Star Trek.^[2] The early display panels were made out of colored Plexiglas with light behind them, a technique that can produce complex-looking displays cheaply. As the show progressed, use of animations increased. Most were displayed on video equipment built into the sets.^{[citation needed]}

On Star Trek: The Next Generation, many of the buttons were labeled with the initials of members of the production crew, and were referred to as "Okudagrams."^[1]

When Michael Okuda was asked about the design of the LCARS display, he responded "I came up with the LCARS style in part because of Gene Roddenberry's directive that he wanted his new Enterprise to be so advanced that it looked simple and clean. The other part of the LCARS style was that it had to be something that could be manufactured quickly and easily on a television budget."

PADD

Close-up of a PADD, as seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

In the Star Trek franchise the LCARS interface is often seen used on a PADD (Personal Access Display Device), a hand-held computer device.

PADDs of various designs are used in the Star Trek universe by such space-faring organizations as Starfleet, the Andorian Imperial Guard, Bajoran Militia, Cardassian Union, Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire and Vulcan High Command. They are common to cultures even as distant as the Delta Quadrant.

Trivia

Apple's iPad has been compared with the PADD.^[3] There are several apps available for it which offer an LCARS-style interface.^[4][5] Android also has some ^[6]

Legal

CBS Studios Inc. apparently holds copyright IP regarding LCARS. Google had been sent a DMCA letter to remove the android app called tricorder.^[7] even though Roddenberry's contract allows the use of the name for those who create functional versions of Star Trek technology.

See also

• LCARS 24

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual
2. ^ Star Trek: The Magazine, Issue 7, November 1999
3. ^ How Star Trek artists imagined the iPad... 23 years ago, Ars technica
4. ^ New ‘LCARS’ iPad Application Released, TrekMovie.com
5. ^ Make It So: Hands-On With Official Star Trek iPad App, Ryan Paul, Wired, July 16, 2011
6. ^ LCARS UI - An LCARS implementation for Android
7. ^ http://code.google.com/p/moonblink/wiki/Tricorder

External links

• LCARS at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• PADD at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Basic LCARS Design Guidelines
• LCARS Standards Development Board
• LCARS x32 - An LCARS implementation for Windows (under active development)
• LCARS UI - An LCARS implementation for Android