Tactus Technology is showcasing its next-gen mobile tactile tech at SID Display Week 2012 in Boston, reported TG Daily.
A Tactus spokesperson told TG Daily that its layer panel is the "world's first" deformable tactile surface capable of creating dynamic physical buttons that users can actually see and feel in before entering data into the device.
How does it work?
With a new microfluidic technology, Tactus highlighted how a phone's touchscreen will be able to transform to support a physical keyboard. When no longer needed, the buttons recede back into the touchscreen, leaving no trace of their presence.
Perhaps the best news is that the technology adds no extra thickness to the standard touchscreen display, as it replaces an already existing layer of the display stack.
When triggered, the thin layer deforms and buttons or shapes of a specific height, size and firmness appear on the surface of the screen. Users can feel, press down and interact with these physical buttons just like they would use keys on a keyboard.
Tactus Technology expects its Tactile Layer to help power a new generation of smartphone, tablets, ebook readers, gaming devices and automotive displays.
According to BGR reports, a series of Apple patents, dating back to 2009 and earlier, revealed that the iPhone-maker had an interest in such technologies, though the status of Apple's research is still unknown. Tactus hopes to bring its new haptic display technology to products in 2013. Take a look at the video demonstration below and let us know your thoughts on the new technology in the comments.
