( CNN ) -- Video producer 's note : You 've heard of 3-D printing , the process of using a specialized printer to create real-world objects from computer models . Now there 's something new on the horizon that could revolutionize this burgeoning technology : 4-D printing . At TED 2013 , senior fellow Skylar Tibbits sat down with CNN Ideas to further explain this mysterious fourth dimension in printing technology . He also provided us with visual examples from his Self-Assembly Lab , MIT . See how it all works in the video above . What uses do you see for 4-D printing , if any ? ( Note : This is project is a collaboration between Stratasys Inc. and the Self-Assembly Lab , MIT . )
Skylar Tibbits spoke at TED 2016 about 4-D printing . Tibbits : ` ` The idea behind 4-D printing is to have movement over time '' 4-D printing could create images without sensors or motors .