AutoPilot, Tactical,Hospitality, Medical and Engineering: Picard shows us a possible future of solo flight?

OK I admit I am a nerd, I like technology. As a rider of motorcycles, I also have a love of fictional small, maneuverable space craft. While many over the years have grabbed my imagination, a few have stood out from the crowd.

I loved the idea of Moya (from Farscape), an actual living entity with her own personality, but as her offspring proved, not without issues.

While the millennium Falcon has to be another long term favorite, the imprisonment of a freedom fighting L3-37 sentient android into it's programming has left me with conflicting feelings, it still has to be a favorite ship. Of course there have been many more like the Navigator that have filled my imagination. But I am trying to discuss specifically human interfaces here.

Neither am I looking for a science fiction motorcycle as Rey's Speeder is a virtual match for my current motorcycle, just mine is still powered by the 4 stroke cycle and does not have the hovering abilities found a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.

Star Trek has always been cutting edge science fiction. While I have followed the Enterprise in it's multiple configurations, the stories are more about the experiences of the crew. The ship may be grand, but I am into motorcycles, not ocean liners. The Defiant from Deep Space 9 was an interesting small ship, but still required a crew to manage.

Another line of interest is the holographic doctor from Voyager. He had some interesting stories, but the connotations of advanced technology and artificial intelligence still lacking full exploration as a substitute for a human crew, especially if the holographic projections can make it beyond a holodeck

But I have to say I love the latest technology to enter the updated Star Trek universe.

For those who may not have seen it, may I introduce you to the La Sirena

(Picard's first contact with the the new ship in episode 3 - Warning spoiler!)

to be found in the new Picard adventure ( official trailer)

Now while I find this new adventure nicely updated to be closer to the humanity I recognise, (toilets and swearing included!) the specific detail I wanted to focus interest on here was the autopilot.

Anyone who has watched Picard or the first of the two clips above will now be aware of the ships EMH program. We know that the Star Trek universe has holographic imaging that can be interacted with. STNG had the holodeck. Picard having actually used it to defend himself against the Bork in First Contact

And while I know this is still science fiction, it is not necessarily as far in the future as we may think:-

First 'touchable' hologram created in Japan

This is another spoiler clip. But it shows an example of another holographic character on the ship. This time at tactical, with the interesting choice of languaAs the story line plays out the interactive holograms are explained as optional extras that come with the ship. Star Trek Voyager had "Bio-neural gel packs". So if the ship is further advanced again then the technology is capable of far more advanced computational speeds.

I like the way the simulation takes control, yet technically is the computer controlling itself as autopilot. Unless the technology actually has a separate system for holograms? I hope that these traits are explored more as the series progresses. But here I will focus on our Earth Star dates latest episode "Broken Pieces" -

I have deleted links due to copyright issues. You can watch on Amazon Prime.

(Reference the La Sirena - the main spaceship in Picard) There is a lot going on here, the episode pilot does not really touch on the episodes sub thread regarding the ships emergency hologram programmes. There are 5 with this ship. Navigation, Tactical, Medical, Hospitality and Engineering.

Apparently the self scan option had been selected when the ship was purchased so all the programmes look like the captain Cristóbal Rios, he having made individual modifications to personalise them. Not sure I would want to surround myself with versions of myself to fly through space with but that's a different topic again.

What I like about this is that they all work together, the programmes have got enough independence to support the captain, but he also has enough control to make dynamic executive command decisions.

While I do not see us flying off through space in the near future, there are certainly lessons for the way the automotive industry approaches the human AI interface as the technology improves. Man and machine in perfect harmony? I think the only way we are going to move forward is when the technology and humans work side by side to the best of our joint abilities. That's very different to the default reality we currently live in, but what do I know? Get on, hold on, enjoy the ride.

I will end with another spoiler clip - "I don't know how to work this" Admiral Picard.