Technology Edu

3D printers are still new in the consumer technology market, but  3D printers have huge potential to help the blind and visually impaired. To be clear this technology is still in its infancy. Imagine a blind student reading about a geometric figure or a molecule, but who cannot understand the make up or configuration of the object. A sighted user might be able to gather the necessary information through an image but a blind student might need hands-on time for a better understanding of the object. This is where the 3D printer comes into play. If a digital 3D file is available the blind student could print out the object quickly right in their home or classroom. 3D printers typically print a model layer by layer in plastic A blind person could print a model of a building or car in order to gain a better understanding of the architecture or design. As shown in the above picture some current 3D printers can print objects the size of the basketball. The the student could feel and examine the object. For this promising technology to become a reality pricing would have decrease to allow schools or individuals to purchase the devices. Also, content creators would have to make printable 3D files available for public use.

Click read more below to watch videos about 3D printers.

Google's I/O conference kicks off in just under a month on May 15. I/O is Google's largest conference and usually comes with software and hardware announcements. Last year Google announced Google Glass and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sanwich among other products. This year Google is widely expected to announce Key Llime Pie, a new version of its Android operating system. Google may also release new Nexus devices. As previously rumored Google may improve its Google Now service and possibly bring the feature to iOS. Stay tuned for new of the announcements and analysis about the accessibility of the new products.