By I-Hsien Sherwood | i.sherwood@latinospost.com (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Jan 14, 2013 12:48 PM EST


Miss having a keyboard on your tablet? Tactus Technology has unveiled a new screen that morphs into a keyboard when you need it, and disappears when you don't.

Check out the video above.

That's amazing, and it could be coming to mobile devices and touchscreens by the end of 2013.

"The tech works by replacing the top layer of a device's screen -- usually hardened glass or plastic -- with a sheet that can both be a smooth and flat touchscreen surface and a lumpy, physical keyboard. Of course, by doing this with some devices you'd lose the toughness of a Gorilla Glass panel for example, but that's the price you have to pay for such awesomeness," says Gadget Helpline.

Of course, if screens can change shape, maybe they'll even be able to self repair, and wouldn't liquid-filled screens be more resistant to falls? That's just speculation, though.

But Tactus is serious about getting the new tech into the hands of consumers, just not directly.

"Tactus is aiming this system at OEMs rather than producing Tactus-branded tablets and smartphones itself," writes Matt Burns at TechCrunch.

"Tactus CEO and Founder Craig Ciesla Ciesla assured me both on and off the camera that his company already has partnerships in place, and the world will see gadgets with this technology by the end of the year."

If this tech works as well as it seems to, it will revolutionize data input and touchscreen interfaces.

One of the issues with physical keyboards is their size, weight and complicated wiring. And onscreen keyboards suffer from a lack of tactile feedback. But a temporary keyboard solves all those problems and allows an optimal form factor.

We're one step closer to virtual reality keyboards currently only possible with movie magic.

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