5 cool ways to give an iOS device a physical keyboard

This week, a startup named Tactus Technology got a lot of attention for its Phorm iPad Mini case, which includes a transparent screen cover that creates bubbles over each letter in the iOS keyboard. It’s basically a tactile keyboard that appears on a touchscreen only when the user needs it.

Tactus has been working on its on-demand keyboard technology for more than five years, according to Wired. The screen cover is based on microfluidic technology, which has its roots in ink jet printers, and it has small grooves carved into the spot where each letter appears on the iPad screen. When the user slides a switch on the back of the case – which appears to be almost a third of the size of the rear of the case, so it won’t require you to flip your iPad around and hunt for a button – the case applies a small amount of pressure that forces a tiny amount fluid to rush across the screen. That fluid gets caught fills up each of the grooves, creating bubbles that act as tactile buttons on the touchscreen keyboard. Here’s a video showing the technology in use.

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