Phoxel-Space is an interface to enable the exploration of voxel data through the use of physical models and materials. Our goal is to improve the means to intuitively navigate and understand complex 3-dimensional datasets. The system works by allowing the user to define a free form geometry that can be utilized as a cutting surface with which to intersect a voxel dataset. The intersected voxel values are projected back onto the surface of the physical material. The paper describes how the interface approach builds on previous graphical, virtual and tangible interface approaches and how Phoxel-Space can be used as a representational aid in the example application domains of biomedicine, geophysics and fluid dynamics simulation.
(Source: http://tangible.media.mit.edu/projects/phoxelspace/)