Forget 3D...

Just when we thought 3D printing was new and exciting... introducing 4D printing!

BBC has reported that there is a handful of geniuses at MIT who are working on incorporating time -- yes time -- to printing.

How you might ask?

Mr. Tibbits from MIT's self-assembly lab explained how his team was working on how they would incorporate the fourth dimension. "We're proposing that the fourth dimension is time and that over timee static objects will transform and adapt," he said.

He continued to explain that the process included using 3D printers which create multi-layered materials combined with a plastic that BBC described as a "smart material" that can absorb water.

Hold the phone... Aren't there toys which come in capsule form that grow "x" times when put in water? (See photo above.)

But that's neither here nor there.

Mr. Tibbits went on to say that water is not the only source they can use. "We could also have heat, vibration and sound," he said.

If this is the case, the future of printing is looking promising!

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