In the Future We’ll Search in Three Dimensions

Search engines have come to define how most of us interact with digital information. But, if you think about it, they’re still pretty limited. We can search for words and, in recent years, Google Images allows us to search by picture. Want to search, though, for the flavor of apple, or the notes of the song you can’t remember the name to? You’re still out of luck. However, researchers are making headway in another kind of novel search — searching by 3-D object. And that’s only going to become more useful in a world with growing access to 3-D printers. Printing the Future From candy to jawbones to high heels, 3-D printing has finally found its way into the mainstream. With Maker Labs gracing public libraries, museums and schools, the everyday person has access to a technology that was once only reserved for industry use. The new website 3Dshap.es aims ...