and the early episodes of Deep Space 9''. Throughout
Star Trek: Enterprise and
Star Trek: The Original Series, on-ship communication is achieved via communicator panels on desks and walls, and sometimes through the use of
videophones. While formed into a
landing party, the crew carried hand-held communicators that flip open. The top section contains a
transceiver antenna and the bottom contains user controls, a speaker and a microphone. The device was designed and built by
Wah Chang, who also built many of the other props used in the series. Wrist-worn communicators were used in
Star Trek: The Motion Picture and remained in use by some Starfleet installations and vessels during the time of
The Wrath of Khan. However, the traditional handheld communicator returned in later films. The reason for the switch was not explained, but the non-
canon source ''Mister Scott's Guide to the Enterprise'' offered the explanation that Starfleet discontinued use of the wrist-worn communicators when they were determined to be prone to repeated failures after suffering minor impacts.
. This was also used on Voyager and the later episodes of Deep Space 9 as well as the last three TNG
films and in the flashback scenes of Picard''. In
Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) and later series, Starfleet officers and enlisted personnel wear small communicator badges on their left breast. These devices are in the shape of the
Starfleet insignia and are activated with a light tap. They also incorporate the
universal translator. There have been four versions of the communicator badge seen on screen. The first was a prototype used by members of
Section 31 during the second season of
Star Trek: Discovery (DIS). The second was used through
TNG and in the first two seasons of
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9). The third was used in the last five seasons of
DS9, throughout
Star Trek: Voyager (VOY), the four
TNG films, and in flashback scenes in
Star Trek: Picard (PIC). The fourth was seen in use in 2399 in
Picard. Use of the modern badges dates back at least as far as the time of the
Enterprise-C. (Lt. Richard Castillo is shown wearing a communicator badge in the TNG episode "
Yesterday's Enterprise," the Starfleet insignia of his TOS movie-era uniform now functioning as a communicator badge.) According to Data in the episode
"Time's Arrow, Part One" at a poker game in 1893, the badge is made out of a
crystalline composite of
silicon,
beryllium, carbon 70 and gold. In
Deep Space Nine, Bajoran officers and enlisted personnel also wear a small communicator badge that functions much the same as their Starfleet counterparts. However, Bajorans wear their badges on the right breast of their uniform tunics. Cardassians are shown wearing their communicators on their left wrist. While wall and desk panels are still present, officers and crew consider them a secondary system, relying primarily on the badges. Viewscreens are used for visual communications. In Starfleet vessels and installations, communication can also be accomplished by verbally directing the computer to initiate communications with another person. In the
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Those Old Scientists", First Officer
Una Chin-Riley shows the time-traveling Ensign
Boimler's communicator delta to Captain
Christopher Pike. Upon seeing that the communicator activates with a simple button press, Pike remarks that "flipping it open's the best part." ==Relation to current real technology==