A team led by MIT Professor Daniela Rus conducted the Smart Sand project and its not what it sounds because the tech in it is more cube than grain. It measures 12mm per side, and these pebbles work in unison to recreate an object by surrounding it and then building a shared 3D map used as a blueprint for duplication.

Researchers hope to shrink it down to 1mm in size to create a "sand" that could clone objects as needed in multiples or even enlarged versions. Check out the video after the jump!