World's Thinnest Keyboard Can Turn Anything Into An Interface (VIDEO)

WATCH: World's Thinnest Keyboard

The world's thinnest keyboard has been unveiled ahead of the 2013 IFA conference in Berlin.

The device could conceivably turn any object into a keyboard.

CSR have unveiled their membrane peripheral ahead of the show, claiming it can combine printed circuits and a Bluetooth chip into a keyboard which is just 0.5mm thick.

The keyboard is able to work with most mobile devices and computers, and has an acceptable lag delay of about 12 milliseconds.

The keyboard isn't available commercially - it's pitched to third parties as a solution for keyboards like that seen in Microsoft's recent Surface tablets, as well as possible implementations inside other physical objects. Engadget imagines it could be built into notepads or desks, and we can imagine versions used in vehicles or furniture too.

Here's the pitch from the company's press release:

"Light weight and flexible, the device can be integrated into a protective cover or used to create large touch zones on a desktop. With minimal weight and bulk, a full keyboard experience can be added to a tablet without taking up valuable screen area. Thin enough to slip behind the pages of a notebook, it can be used to pick up handwriting and sketches from the nib of a modified pen."

"Consumers want innovative, portable wireless accessories that just work with their mobile devices," says Paul Williamson, Director of Low Power Wireless at CSR.

"The ultra-thin touch surface we've developed is a perfect example of how Bluetooth Smart can give them just that. We're committed to working collaboratively with developers using the CSR µEnergy platform to help them bring similar next-generation accessories to the market quickly."

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