RFID readers may affect pacemakers

A study released this month shows RFID tags cause electromagnetic interference to pacemakers, but scientists claim the devices pose no urgent health risk, reports RFID Journal.

The research was conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration's Centre for Devices and Radiological Health, which is responsible for regulating companies that manufacture medical devices sold in the US.

Seth Seidman, a research electrical engineer for the centre, and the report's lead author, notes that the growing number of medical applications using RFID technology may mean that in future, it will have an effect on patients with pacemakers.

The University of Louisville in the US has received $1 million from the US Department of Defence to study RFID for the Defence Logistics Agency, says Business First.

The Department of Defence claims it's seeking ways to expand the use of the technology, which allows logisticians to track the contents of a shipment by placing electronic tags on goods or pallets.

University researchers will develop an RFID strategy for the Department of Defence that uses current technology as a benchmark. The department handles about $40 billion in material goods annually.

A European Union-funded EUR2.1-million (R22.6 million) project called Robot Swarm has been successfully tested, states The Baltic Course.

The three-year project, initiated by research and development company Invent Baltics, aims to develop a technology for robots used in domestic and public area applications such as cleaning and patrolling.

Positioning and navigation was assisted by fixed RFID tags, which mark different surfaces and objects, and are used by robots for task sharing and coordination.