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The Ring transporter is a fictional teleportation technology from the TV series Stargate SG-1 and the Stargate movie.

The ring transporter was originally invented by the Ancients and also used by their opposition, The Ori. In the Milky Way, the technology has been largely attributed to the Goa'uld, as they are responsible for its widespread use and possibly further production. Ring transporters have also be incorporated in the Earth ships Prometheus, Daedalus, Odyssey, and Korolev.

Design and Function

The device consists of five circular metal rings stacked above each other, hidden inside a ceiling compartment or rising up from the floor. The rings are designed to work in pairs; one set of rings dematerializes and transmits the matter inside the rings to a receiving pair in another location. In the episode, "The Other Guys," a group of Earth scientists study an ancient ring platform. They determine that each ring transporter platform weighs 12.9 tons.

When activated, they hover unsupported off the ground, enveloping the person or object to be transported. The rings are approximately half the size of the Stargate in diameter and function in a similar manner. Unlike the Stargate, however, the rings are not intuitive and cannot recognize and separate objects being transported. As a result, if the person or object being transported is underwater, the column of water within the rings is also transported, as seen in the episode "Descent." Also unlike the Stargate, the rings do not require an object to be whole for transportation. Should any part of an object lie outside the rings, those pieces will be cut off. In the movie, Ra's First Prime is killed when the ring transporter is activated while his head is inside the rings and his body is outside.

The rings can also perform a direct exchange. When the rings are activated with an object or person on both the transmitting and receiving end, the two are exchanged in the single transmission. The rings can be activated remotely using a remote control, typically worn as a ring by a Goa'uld or Jaffa. Remote operation requires the rings to be activated using a nearby control panel. There is a short delay between activation and transmission, allowing a an individual to activate the controls and position himself for transport.

Although the rings appear solid, they are capable of passing through matter without disturbing it. This has been observed in several episodes, including "The Tok'ra, Part 1" and "Avalon, Part 1".

Mobile Rings

Transport rings are installed on all Goa'uld vessels large enough to contain them. They are embedded in the floor of the craft and are sometimes used to enter and exit the vessel. In this case, one set of rings is placed outside the craft and another inside. Used in this way, the rings allow transportation of objects directly below it, even if there is no receiving ring on the ground, or if the object is in space.

Mobile rings have sensors that allow them to detect the nearest ring transporter. In "Beachhead," Vala uses the Prometheus's ring transporters to ring to a nearby tel'tak. She lodged the vessel into the position for the final component of the Ori supergate. To escape, she uses the ring transporters again. Her matter stream is drawn into the open wormhole to the Ori galaxy, where she is reconstituted by the ring transporters of Ver Isca.

This flexibility allows for the interruption of the matter stream. In the episode "The Devil You Know," SG-1 attempts to escape Ne'tu by ringing aboard Sokar’s mother ship. Teal'c successfully interrupts the matter stream by flying his cargo vessel into the path of the stream, and SG-1 is ringed aboard his vessel instead.

Similar Technology

Other teleportation technology has been used in the Stargate universe.

Transportation Booths—In Atlantis, the Ancients used booths instead of rings to navigate the city. Similar to an elevator in appearance and use, they operate much like the rings, exhibiting a flash of light on activation. The booths also swap objects or people in much the same way as the rings do.

The Sodan Transport Pillars—Also called The Eye of the Gods, these pillars are Ancient technology. The pillar is activated with a specific code, and transports nearby people to a distant location on the Sodan planet.

Asgard Beams— The Asgard also use teleportation technology with greater flexibility than the rings. Other than a flash of light, they bear no similarity in appearance to the rings. The technology uses sensors to acquire its target. The sensors can be enhanced using transport enhancers attached to the object to be transported.

Wraith Culling Beam—Similar to Asgard transporters, Wraith beaming technology is even more flexible. Wraith darts emit a sweeping light beam capable of picking up humans in motion, and storing them in the ship's buffer for later reconstitution.