The 3D printers we have today are similar to the replicators featured in Star Trek. We're really just at the beginning of the technology. Now, Yahoo has created a similar machine for students at a school for the visually impaired in Japan.

The machine lets anyone ask Yahoo's search engine a query, and instead of returning a list of sites, the software will hunt down 3D models which are printed out for them.



If a model for a given query isn't found, Yahoo Japan runs ads asking its users to design or submit the missing 3D model.

Check it out. [Yahoo Japan via Notcot]