Voice-activated search engine plus 3D printing allow visually-impaired kids to hold the result of their Internet searches

This is incredible.  Yahoo JAPAN has integrated the search function with a 3D printer and developed the “Hands On Search” machine.  This means the item you search for on the internet comes out as a solid object.  This machine was introduced to Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired, affiliated by University of Tsukuba. You can see it in action in the video below:

It's a cool idea.  If the item a child searches for does not have an affiliated 3D file, the request will be posted back to the community to provide one.

You can read this article to learn more, or watch this video to see how the 3D search machine was made.