<s>
The	O
Doctor	O
,	O
an	O
Emergency	O
Medical	B-Application
Hologram	I-Application
(	O
or	O
EMH	O
for	O
short	O
)	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
fictional	O
character	O
portrayed	O
by	O
actor	O
Robert	O
Picardo	O
on	O
the	O
television	O
series	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
Voyager	O
,	O
which	O
aired	O
on	O
UPN	O
between	O
1995	O
and	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
an	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
manifesting	O
as	O
a	O
holographic	B-Algorithm
projection	I-Algorithm
,	O
designed	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
a	O
short-term	O
supplement	O
to	O
the	O
medical	O
staff	O
of	O
a	O
starship	O
during	O
emergency	O
situations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
the	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
franchise	O
's	O
exploration	O
of	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
,	O
a	O
simple	O
software	O
program	O
becomes	O
a	O
major	O
character	O
in	O
the	O
show	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
added	O
that	O
he	O
first	O
learned	O
what	O
a	O
hologram	B-Algorithm
was	O
from	O
being	O
selected	O
for	O
the	O
role	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
I	O
was	O
confused	O
,	O
I	O
did	O
n’t	O
know	O
what	O
it	O
meant	O
for	O
him	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
hologram	B-Algorithm
or	O
a	O
computer	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
I	O
did	O
n’t	O
understand	O
enough	O
about	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
'	O
science	O
,	O
'	O
which	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
real	O
science	O
,	O
although	O
we	O
still	O
do	O
n’t	O
know	O
how	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
hologram	B-Algorithm
with	O
density	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Doctor	O
began	O
his	O
service	O
on	O
the	O
USS	O
Voyager	O
as	O
the	O
standard	O
Emergency	O
Medical	B-Application
Hologram	I-Application
built	O
into	O
almost	O
every	O
newer	O
Starfleet	B-Application
ship	O
's	O
sickbay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Attempting	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
realistic	O
personality	O
,	O
the	O
Doctor	O
not	O
only	O
manufactured	O
a	O
holographic	B-Algorithm
family	O
(	O
"	O
Real	O
Life	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
he	O
also	O
had	O
an	O
increasing	O
number	O
of	O
other	O
"	O
human	O
"	O
experiences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Doctor	O
also	O
developed	O
talents	O
as	O
a	O
playwright	O
,	O
artist	O
,	O
and	O
photographer	O
,	O
and	O
even	O
became	O
a	O
connoisseur	O
of	O
opera	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Doctor	O
submitted	O
a	O
holonovel	B-Algorithm
titled	O
Photons	O
Be	O
Free	O
to	O
a	O
publisher	O
on	O
Earth	O
,	O
detailing	O
the	O
manner	O
in	O
which	O
holograms	B-Algorithm
were	O
sometimes	O
treated	O
by	O
Starfleet	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
he	O
was	O
forbidden	O
to	O
make	O
any	O
subsequent	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
holonovel	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Doctor	O
later	O
acquired	O
a	O
mobile	O
holographic	B-Algorithm
emitter	O
from	O
the	O
29th	O
century	O
(	O
"	O
Future	O
's	O
End	O
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
he	O
had	O
previously	O
been	O
confined	O
to	O
Sickbay	O
or	O
the	O
Holodeck	B-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
emitter	I-Application
allowed	O
The	O
Doctor	O
to	O
move	O
about	O
freely	O
,	O
making	O
him	O
ideal	O
for	O
missions	O
where	O
the	O
environment	O
would	O
be	O
harmful	O
or	O
otherwise	O
fatal	O
to	O
the	O
crew	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
one	O
notable	O
incident	O
,	O
when	O
an	O
away	O
team	O
was	O
trapped	O
on	O
a	O
radioactive	O
planet	O
,	O
The	O
Doctor	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
infiltrate	O
the	O
people	O
and	O
almost	O
single-handedly	O
rescue	O
the	O
team	O
because	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
pointed	O
out	O
,	O
being	O
a	O
hologram	B-Algorithm
renders	O
him	O
immune	O
to	O
the	O
radiation	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
being	O
a	O
hologram	B-Algorithm
does	O
have	O
its	O
advantages.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
2020	O
interview	O
,	O
Picardo	O
recalled	O
his	O
initial	O
reticence	O
to	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
a	O
mobile	B-Application
emitter	I-Application
:	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
final	O
episode	O
of	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
Voyager	O
,	O
a	O
future	O
version	O
of	O
Janeway	O
also	O
informs	O
him	O
of	O
his	O
later	O
invention	O
of	O
a	O
device	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
'	O
synaptic	O
transceiver	O
 '	O
,	O
something	O
that	O
fascinates	O
The	O
Doctor	O
;	O
he	O
's	O
cut	O
off	O
by	O
the	O
'	O
present	O
 '	O
Janeway	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
abiding	O
by	O
the	O
Temporal	O
Prime	O
Directive	O
,	O
before	O
he	O
can	O
learn	O
more	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Emergency	O
Command	O
Hologram	B-Algorithm
"	O
,	O
aka	O
"	O
ECH	O
"	O
,	O
is	O
first	O
coined	O
by	O
The	O
Doctor	O
in	O
the	O
episode	O
"	O
Tinker	O
,	O
Tenor	O
,	O
Doctor	O
,	O
Spy	O
"	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
he	O
creates	O
a	O
program	O
which	O
allows	O
him	O
to	O
daydream	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
adding	O
routines	O
which	O
allow	O
him	O
to	O
take	O
command	O
of	O
Voyager	O
–	O
including	O
a	O
command	O
uniform	O
–	O
in	O
the	O
event	O
of	O
the	O
command	O
crew	O
being	O
incapacitated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Doctor	O
's	O
program	O
required	O
a	O
custom-built	O
photonic	O
processor	O
,	O
and	O
Starfleet	B-Application
outfitted	O
Voyager	O
with	O
only	O
two	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starfleet	B-Application
did	O
not	O
assign	O
a	O
name	O
to	O
him	O
,	O
and	O
initially	O
,	O
the	O
Doctor	O
claimed	O
that	O
he	O
did	O
not	O
want	O
one	O
until	O
the	O
episode	O
"	O
Eye	O
of	O
the	O
Needle	O
"	O
,	O
when	O
he	O
asks	O
Kes	O
to	O
give	O
him	O
a	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
friends	O
suggest	O
the	O
famous	O
historical	O
Earth	O
doctors	O
"	O
Galen	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Spock.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
the	O
arrival	O
of	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
emitter	I-Application
,	O
The	O
Doctor	O
's	O
holo-program	O
was	O
confined	O
to	O
sickbay	O
,	O
holodecks	B-Algorithm
,	O
and	O
other	O
areas	O
equipped	O
with	O
holographic	B-Algorithm
systems	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Depending	O
on	O
the	O
availability	O
of	O
suitable	O
holographic	B-Algorithm
patterns	O
and	O
the	O
capacity	O
of	O
his	O
pattern	O
buffers	O
,	O
The	O
Doctor	O
can	O
alter	O
his	O
appearance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
EMH	O
is	O
a	O
holographic	B-Algorithm
computer	O
program	O
designed	O
to	O
treat	O
patients	O
during	O
emergency	O
situations	O
,	O
or	O
when	O
the	O
regular	O
medical	O
staff	O
is	O
unavailable	O
or	O
incapacitated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EMHs	O
are	O
a	O
standard	O
feature	O
onboard	O
all	O
Starfleet	B-Application
ships	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
are	O
there	O
only	O
to	O
supplement	O
the	O
living	O
medical	O
crew	O
during	O
emergencies	O
,	O
not	O
replace	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Programmed	O
with	O
all	O
current	O
Starfleet	B-Application
medical	O
knowledge	O
,	O
The	O
Doctor	O
and	O
all	O
Mark	O
I	O
programs	O
are	O
equipped	O
with	O
the	O
knowledge	O
and	O
mannerisms	O
of	O
historic	O
Federation	O
doctors	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
physical	O
appearance	O
of	O
their	O
programmer	O
Dr.	O
Lewis	O
Zimmerman	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Picardo	O
had	O
a	O
minor	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
movie	O
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
First	I-Application
Contact	I-Application
,	O
where	O
he	O
played	O
the	O
emergency	O
medical	B-Application
hologram	I-Application
of	O
the	O
USS	O
Enterprise-E	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Picardo	O
appeared	O
as	O
Zimmerman	O
in	O
the	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
Deep	O
Space	O
Nine	O
episode	O
"	O
Doctor	O
Bashir	O
I	O
Presume	O
"	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
he	O
was	O
attempting	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
new	O
Long-Term	O
Medical	B-Application
Hologram	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
EMH	O
also	O
appeared	O
in	O
the	O
defunct	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
The	O
Experience	O
amusement	O
exhibition	O
at	O
the	O
Las	O
Vegas	O
Hilton	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
Picardo	O
said	O
CBS	O
producers	O
had	O
expressed	O
interest	O
in	O
having	O
him	O
appear	O
in	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
Picard	O
,	O
as	O
either	O
The	O
Doctor	O
or	O
his	O
creator	O
,	O
Lewis	O
Zimmerman	O
,	O
whom	O
Picardo	O
also	O
portrayed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
Picard	O
features	O
an	O
EMH	O
called	O
"	O
Emil	O
"	O
,	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
holographic	B-Algorithm
suite	O
aboard	O
the	O
ship	O
La	O
Sirena	O
,	O
modeled	O
after	O
Captain	O
Cristobal	O
Rios	O
and	O
played	O
by	O
Santiago	O
Cabrera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
Discovery	O
features	O
a	O
32nd-century	O
EMH	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
Eli	O
"	O
,	O
played	O
by	O
Brendan	O
Beiser	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
The	O
Wrap	O
ranked	O
Voyager	O
's	O
EMH	O
as	O
the	O
22nd	O
best	O
character	O
of	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
overall	O
,	O
noting	O
the	O
character	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
sarcastic	O
,	O
overworked	O
hologram	B-Algorithm
"	O
,	O
one	O
that	O
also	O
had	O
time	O
for	O
jokes	O
and	O
helping	O
fellow	O
crewmates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2016	O
,	O
Wired	O
magazine	O
ranked	O
the	O
character	O
as	O
the	O
16th	O
most	O
important	O
character	O
in	O
service	O
to	O
Starfleet	B-Application
within	O
the	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
science	O
fiction	O
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2016	O
,	O
SyFy	O
ranked	O
"	O
The	O
Doctor/Voyager	O
EMH	O
"	O
as	O
the	O
second	O
best	O
of	O
the	O
six	O
main-cast	O
space	O
doctors	O
of	O
the	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
,	O
Slate	O
magazine	O
ranked	O
The	O
Doctor	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
ten	O
best	O
crew	O
characters	O
in	O
the	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Elementary	O
,	O
Dear	O
Data	O
(	O
TNG	O
S2E3	O
aired	O
December	O
5	O
,	O
1988	O
-	O
also	O
explored	O
holographic	B-Algorithm
A.I.	B-Application
)	O
</s>
<s>
Arnold	O
Rimmer	O
,	O
holographic	B-Algorithm
character	O
on	O
Red	O
Dwarf''	O
.	O
</s>
