tabletop interface controllers and systems are becoming more popular over the last few years. youtube is helping get the word out there - it was interesting to see a post on Stealth Board linking to the youtube video below and the guys talking about how cool it was and that it's the music of the future & it being alien music. !!
sounds like the genres are crossing over.. !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-RhyopUmc

reactable / reactivision

http://mtg.upf.edu/reactable/?software

http://www.iua.upf.es/mtg/reacTable/

http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/conf/nime/index.html

http://mtg.upf.edu/reactable/?publications

http://maniaxmemori.net/log/index.php?2006/12/07/2-dialectique-du-caillo...

http://sourceforge.net/projects/reactivision/

conferences

http://itp.nyu.edu/nime/2007/workshops.php - NIME

video processing languages / systems

http://vvvv.org/

http://www.processing.org

http://www.cycling74.com

game of life - genetic algorithm

http://www.bitstorm.org/gameoflife/