What if you could pull out your iPhone, sit in on a table and just start using the space in front of the device as an invisible keyboard? Well, now you can, at least in theory.

Meet “Vibrative,” a new processing solution for smartphones.

This interesting concept design comes from Florian Kraeutli a student at Goldsmiths, University of London. It works by measuring and then assigning vibration levels to a virtual keyboard setup – each key sends a different signal, so the program is able to decipher which letters the users is trying to say. According to Kraeutli, it gets it right about 80% of the time, and number which could be improved with the addition of a better accelerometer.

It’s unlikely that you’ll see his virtual keyboard program in use any time soon, as it’s just a proof of concept. But who knows, maybe something like this could find a way on the market some time in the future. People are always looking for easy typing solutions for their mobile devices.

[The Telegraph via BGR]