Swedish office building tests implanted RFID microchips in workers

Workers at a new high-technology office building in central Stockholm are doing awaywith their old ID cards on lanyards, andcan now open doors with the swipe of a hand thanks to amicrochip implanted in thebody.

Theradio-frequency identification (RFID) chips are about 12 mmlong and injected with a syringe.

"It's an identification tool that can communicate with objects around you," said PatrickMesterton, CEO of the building,EpicenterOffice.

"You can open doors using your chip. You can do secure printing from our printers with the chip,but you can also communicate with your mobile phone, by sending your business card to individuals that you meet," he said.

Mesterton thinks some of the future uses for implanted chips will be any application that currently requires a pin code,a key or a card, such as payments.

"I think also for health-care reasons ... you can sort of communicate with your doctor and you get can data on what you eat and what your physical status is," Mesterton said.

"You have your own identification code and you're sending that to something else which you have to grant access to. So there's no one else that can sort of follow you on your ID, so to say.It's you who decides who gets access to that ID," hesaid.

The implant program is voluntary for the workers in the office complex.

"It felt pretty scary, butat the same time it felt very modern, very 2015," said LinKowalskashortly after she had a microchip implanted in her hand.