Apple has patented designs which indicate the Cupertino company is working on a more tactile touchscreen design.

Patents have been filed which show a screen that is able to change in three dimensions as different things are displayed. For example, a button that appears onscreen could raise-up from the display to allow the user to press it.

There has also been speculation that such a screen could change to display different textures coinciding with whatever is being displayed at the time – rocks  could become rough, silk being smooth and so on.

The technology, known as a ‘multi-tiered haptic system’, changes the shape of a touchscreen using switches mounted underneath an elastic surface. Before the release of the latest iPad there were rumours that it might included such a feature and it will be very interesting to see if a device makes it to market with the kind of tactile experience that the new technology could offer.