Transporter (Star Trek)

A transporter is a fictional teleportation machine used in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. Transporters allow for teleportation by converting a person or object into an energy pattern (a process called "dematerialization"), then sending ("beaming") it to a target location or else returning it to the transporter, where it is reconverted into matter ("rematerialization"). Since its introduction in Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966, the name and similar concepts have made their way to other science fiction scenarios, in literature (such as the Thousand Cultures series), games (SimEarth), etc.

Quick facts: Transporter, First appearance, Created by, Ge... ▼

Transporter
Star Trek franchise element
Transporter platform aboard the USS Enterprise-D from The Next Generation
First appearance	Star Trek: The Original Series
Created by	Gene Roddenberry
Genre	Science fiction
In-universe information
Type	Teleportation device
Function	Allows for very rapid transport of matter between transporter device and a fixed point

The transporter was originally conceived as a device to convey characters from a starship to the surface of a planet without the need for expensive and time-consuming special effects to depict the starship or another craft physically landing. Malfunctioning transporters are also often used as a plot device to set up a variety of science fiction premises. The transporter has become a hallmark of the Star Trek franchise; the famous catchphrase "Beam me up, Scotty" (a misquote) refers to the use of the transporter on Star Trek: The Original Series, operated by the character Montgomery Scott, presumably at the request of Captain Kirk. Transporter technology has been used in many subsequent Star Trek series.