*2.1. Identification*

My first electronic implant was a simple radio frequency transmitter, termed a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) which was inserted in my left arm in 1998. As a result the computer in my building allowed me to open doors and switch on lights simply by walking through particular doorways [15]. One interesting feature of the experiment was that I rapidly came to regard the implant as being part of me, something that is a common feature with implantees.

I had the luxury of a doctor to put my implant in place. Many experimenters of today actually carry out their own implantations, learning as they go about basic medicine and sterilisation. In 1998, I had the comfort of local anaesthetic, not so many of today's subjects do, although a friend may well be on hand in case of fainting.

The RFID is perhaps the most common implant tried, recently in the form of a near field communication (NFC) version. This is essentially the same technology as is used in contactless paymen<sup>t</sup> cards except that it's now packaged in a small tube about the size of a grain of rice. In 1998 my RFID was almost an inch (2.54 cm) long. It does require external technology to transmit power to the implant, which has no battery, and to communicate with it.

In recent years many companies have engaged themselves with the technology, although this might be more for publicity than anything else. For example, in January 2015 it was widely reported that several hundred office workers in Sweden had been chipped. With their implants the workers were able to open doors and switch on the photocopier [16].
