Technology is fantastic, and there’s nothing more exciting than seeing the latest futuristic touch-screen gadget burst onto the market. But once in a while it’s nice to hark back to the comforting days of cellphones the size of bricks, DOS, and of course, the humble keyboard.

It hasn’t been that long since touchscreens were developed, but it seems like every mobile device is equipped with one nowadays. Who needs a clunky keyboard taking up space when you can use a spacious piece of responsive plastic?

But for those of us who still derive satisfaction from feeling the keys beneath our fingertips, there’s a new type of touchscreen emerging.

Tactus Technology has created a the next generation in touchscreen interface, with the morphing touchscreen that creates physical keys according to your preferences. It provides physical guidance when using touch-devices, with an appearing/disappearing user interface.

(Video: Tactus morphing touchscreen)

The touchscreen contains a thin layer of fluid that generates buttons of a certain size, height, and firmness. The channels beneath the touchscreen pump the fluid into certain areas to create the appearance and feeling of a keyboard. The Verge reports that the channels need to be prearranged in a pattern such as the QWERTY keyboard, but that Tactus Technology is working on a way to allow apps to form specific buttons all on their own.

Tactus Technology estimates that devices equipped with the morphing touchscreen technology will be available in 2013.