[Video] Tactus pop-up on-screen keyboard

[Remy X]

Originally spotted by boovish, this is an interesting technology, one that allows physical keyboards to appear on-demand on the screens of next gen tablets and slab phones equipped with it

Now, a video has been released of it in action. Watch the buttons appear and then melt back into the screen:

>>>>>http://mashable.com/2013/01/15/tactu...ical-keyboard/

[GMMan]

The biggest question I have about it is can the buttons change location? Its usefulness would be severely reduced if it can only have one pattern through its lifetime. Also, how "sensitive"? I mean currently, if you press on a touchscreen, there's no way of backing off on the touch unless you slide your finger somewhere where it won't activate what you touched. On a physical keyboard (or mouse), you can position your finger to be touching things, but the action wouldn't activate until you actually press down. I hope this is the same, but if it is using liquid, wouldn't the extra pressure cause damage? The layer can be flattened, so it's less likely, but I don't know how they're filling those bubbles exactly.

[Remy X]

It can have more than one circuit, which is created at the time of manufacturing.

Regarding keypresses, if you read back raw touchscreen output or use Apple-style touch events in the browser, it's possible to tell the size of touched area. The harder you press, the more your finger flattens

[GMMan]

Originally Posted by Remy X

Regarding keypresses, if you read back raw touchscreen output or use Apple-style touch events in the browser, it's possible to tell the size of touched area. The harder you press, the more your finger flattens

I know that, but it always seems that even the slightest brush triggers an action.

[Remy X]

Originally Posted by GMMan

I know that, but it always seems that even the slightest brush triggers an action.

That's only because of software... Code can be written to disregard touches that are too large or too small, however I won't be surprised to see bad implementations of this technology

[RumoredNow]

It is a very cool tech...

Anything that drives a nail into the coffin of slab makes me

But it's more than a keyboard. If handled correctly it opens up a lot of multifunction in devices. Now you can add back in a good IR like iPAQ had on some models and have Tactus pop up buttons for Universal Remote functions. Pop up media player buttons. Raised controls for a browser. Side of frame buttons for Games and Emulators...

I, for one, would really like to see this gain traction.