Replicator | |
---|---|
Star Trek franchise element | |
First appearance | Star Trek: The Next Generation |
Created by | Gene Roddenberry |
Genre | Science fiction |
In-universe information | |
Type | Matter converter |
Function | Synthesis of organic and inorganic materials via rearrangement of subatomic particles |
Affiliation | Starfleet |
In Star Trek a replicator is a machine that can create (and recycle) things. Replicators were originally seen to simply synthesize meals on demand, but in later series much larger non-food items appear. The technical aspects of replicated versus "real" things is sometimes a plot element.