The machine is called a LOM device , for Laminated-Object Manufacturing device. It builds a model by cutting hundreds of layers of paper with a laser, sticking each layer to the previous sheets. This is a satellite photo of Hurricane Emilia. There are programs that can turn this photo into a 3-D computer model. This is the 3-D computer model of Hurricane Emilia.
Scientists can make computer models of anything from a protein to Death Valley.
The hurricane computer model was sent to the LOM device, which produced this solid model. Now a scientist can actually hold and feel what a hurricane is like.