“PROGRAMMABLE MATTER describes a form of controlled, shape-shifting matter. Such a material would have the ability to transition from its current shape into any desired shape; and, this transition would occur on command, under the matter’s own power, and with complete reversibility. If fully realized, programmable matter could lead to a paradigm shift in the way architects, engineers, and everyday citizens view materials.”
http://creativemachines.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/Ubicomp09_Amend.pdf