Bricks is a Graspable User Interface which allows direct control of electronic or virtual objects through physical handles for control. These physical artifacts are essentially new input devices which can be tightly coupled or attached to virtual objects for manipulation or for expressing action (e.g., to set parameters or for initiating processes). GraspDraw, a sample application of Bricks, was developed to investigate the Graspable UI concepts and to design new one- and two-handed interaction techniques. The physical artifacts, or bricks, operate on top of a large horizontal display surface known as the ActiveDesk.
(Source: http://tangible.media.mit.edu/projects/Bricks/)