The Idea...
Two urban planners, designing a plaza, unroll a map of their area of responsibility onto a table. They place an architectural model of a building from the site on the map. Obligingly, the shadow of the building appears on the map and follows the model around as it is moved. When they place a second building model on the table, it too casts a shadow.
The first planner tells the second to try a different time of day. The subordinate planner places the clock widget on the table and rotates the hour hand. That shadows of the shorten, switch to the other side and stretch as the hands rotate about the face of the clock.
A video courtesy of the tangible media lab is available online.
The Pieces
This TUI is composed of a surface, building models, a material wand, a wind tool, a distance measuring tool, and a clock.
The core of the system consists of moving the hands of a clock, which represents the time of day, to change the shadows that a building casts. The user can change the reflective properties of a building by tapping the material wand to a model. The user can determine the wind flow characteristics of the area by placing the wind tool on the table. The direction of the flow can, of course be adjusted. Lastly, the user can measure the distance between any two objects on the table by touching first one object and then the other. All information output by this interface (flow lines, shadows, distances) is displayed on the surface of the table.
The Analysis
Design Concept: The information represented physically in this model system are the components that are physically in reality, which is perhaps why this TUI has been so successful. The buildings are physical and the surface is physical. The wind, and the light and distances, all things that have no physical for are left digital. All of the commands have physical manifestations in this system.
Use Scenarios: This system could be used by urban planners , landscape architects or anyone who is trying to either design or present. The layout of an area.
Implementation: This system is made possible by an I/O bulb. 
Interface Related Skills and Knowledge: Another fantastic component of this system is tha one does not need to learn anything new in order to use it successfully. It is simple and effective. If a user wants to move a building to a different location he/she simply picks up the model and moves it.
If you are curious about this TUI, the full paper can be found here.
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