A new 3D printer uses vats of gel to create objects in a matter of minutes

Your furniture could soon be made in vats of gel. Researchers at MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab and the furniture company Steelcase have partnered up to design a 3D printer that can create an object in a matter of minutes (typical 3D printers can take hours). Right now, they are in a proof-of-concept stage—it can only print small items. But Steelcase and MIT think they can figure out a way to scale the technology so that it can print furniture.

Watch our video to see how the research team figured out how to 3D print in gel vats.