Tactus Touchscreen Concept

They divide phone users. Some people are fine to thumb their way across glass, but others just can’t live in a world without physical buttons. The problem is, the latter sort often miss out on the best apps and experiences. Just ask a BlackBerry user.

Worry not: amazing new technology from Tactus Technology is coming to the rescue by building touchscreens that can reveal and hide physical buttons at will. Seriously.

A while back I remember Apple filing a patent application for a touchscreen device that could make physical buttons appear and disappear when needed. It looked like crazy science-fiction stuff, but now I just don’t know what to think.

Tactus Technology is doing exactly that, and is building a real-life solution that it hopes will filter into devices next year. Using microfluidic technology, Tactus has crafted what it’s called the ‘Tactile Layer’ – a thin panel that can make buttons rise in pre-determined patterns.