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This is an interesting 3D modeling gadget shown at the in Atlanta this week. It’s called the , and it’s a bit of an illusion: It’s a box covered by five LCD screens that gives the impression you’re looking inside of it. Below is a YouTube video by the IDG news service.

The pCubee was developed by the Human Communication Technologies Lab at the University of British Columbia. Ian Stavness, a Ph.D. candidate at the lab, said his team didn’t imagine any immediate Building Information Modeling implications in creating the pCubee, but he said BIM uses are possible.

“It’s really quite open to what you want to do with it. People who are doing things like AutoCAD or 3D models can find a use for it,” Stavness said.

The box is unique in that it provides a 3D experience without using stereo technology – some sort of viewer like 3D glasses that merges two images together.

“It gives you a tangible sense of 3D,” Stavness said.

Another unique point: As you turn the box, the model will move freely as if it’s inside the box. So if you’ve ever wanted to know what would happen if King Kong tossed around your building, well, now you can know.