LONDON: An ultrasound chip is reportedly being developed which would enable mobiles and tablets to be gesture-controlled and is expected to go into production by next year. Norwegian start-up Elliptic Labs is in talks with Asian handset manufacturers to get the chip embedded in devices which uses sound waves to interpret hand movements. According to the BBC, the Elliptic's gesture-control can identify gestures up to a metre away from the phone that means can even identify mid-air gestures accurately. The gesture system uses sound rather than sight and hence, the sensor can recognise gestures from a 180-degree field and also consumes less power and works in the dark. The user interface designer for Elliptic Labs, Erik Forsstorm said that the user needs to learn the exact spot to gesture to instead of having a large interactive space around the device. With gesture controlled devices being the 'next big thing', companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Samsung and recently Disney are all exploring possibilities in the field to provide with the best possible tactile yet touch-free user experience. An analyst with research firm CCS Insight, Ben Wood, said that Apple's success has made gestures a part of everyday life adding that ultrasonic is particularly interesting as one doesn't need to touch the screen which can be an almost magical experience, the report added.