Rather than have friends gather around your tiny iPhone display or force a person to awkwardly reach across you and tap on your handset, this concept lets anyone simply cast shadows to control the interface.

ENGADGET: Hands-on with AT&T Labs prototypes: ShadowPuppets and haptic steering wheel

That opens up the possibility of putting virtual objects into the real world, letting you "pick up" a computer-generated 3D architectural model and spin it around in your hand, for instance, or gesture to control a virtual display appearing on an actual wall.

ENGADGET