EUREKA PROJECT > 5841 WEMS
- SUMMARY
- OUTLINE
- PARTICIPANTS
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SWEDEN
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BELGIUM
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SWITZERLAND
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UNITED KINGDOM
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SWEDEN
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UNITED KINGDOM
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AUSTRIA
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SWITZERLANDDevelopment of Procedures and Instrumentation for Demonstration of Worker's EM Safety (WEMS)
The EU-Directive 2004/40/EC will pose new requirements on employers. The objective is to develop the procedures and instrumentation to demonstrate in-situ compliance with these requirements, in particular, for the automotive, railway and metal fabrication industries.
Status > ANNOUNCED - 21-Jun-2011 Technological Area Market Area Start Date > 31-Jul-2010 Duration > 35 Months Participating countries > SWITZERLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, SWEDEN, BELGIUM, AUSTRIA | Main contactFOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN SOCIETY (IT'IS) / ETH Zurich PROF. DR. NIELS KUSTER > DIRECTOR Organisation type > Research Institute |
Project Description
Every employer within the EUROPEAN UNION must evaluate the exposure of workers due to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2004/40/EC and related CENELEC (Comite Europeen pour la Normalisation electro-technique) standards (or the requirements of an amended Directive and associated non binding guidelines). Member States have to implement the Directive by spring 2012. This is a very challenging task for employers because they are usually non-experts in the field of electromagnetic fields. This is a particular problem for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who may especially lack the resources and expertise required to show compliance with EMF limits. In fact, the UK Health and Safety Executive recently stated that "SMEs are likely to be significantly affected by the Directive with a risk that extra levels of assessment and costly measurements would be required without a significant impact on risk". On the other hand, in the closest vicinity of some high-voltage and high-current equipment, the action values are exceeded that either requires modifications or proof that the exposure limit values are satisfied. The first is very costly and the second can be demanding. One of the major goals of the responsible European authorities is to avoid a disproportionate burden for the European economy, therefore it is imperative to provide reliable and simple tools to allow employers to fulfil their responsibilities with respect to Directive 2004/40/EC. For a minority but still a large number of workplaces at industries utilising high-voltages and/or high currents such as in the automotive, railway and metal fabrication industries, the measurement equipment used for electromagnetic field evaluation is insufficient to fully demonstrate compliance with exposure limits. The incident fields are measured rather than the induced fields in the body. This leads to an over estimation of the exposure. Measurement equipment commonly used today is inaccurate when measuring fields that are highly non-uniform in space and time. Analytical and numerical analysis tools are unable to model the complex sources adequately. This project is divided into the following work packages: WP1. Classification of the In Situ Exposure. WP2. Evaluation of Instrumentation for Incident Field Measurements for the In-Situ Assessment at Work Places. WP3. Development of the Experimental Instrumentation for Induced Fields Optimised for In-Situ Assessment. WP4. Development of the Simulation Tools for In-Situ Assessment. WP5. Development of Procedures for Exposure Assessment from Automobiles. WP6. Development of Procedures for Exposure Assessment in the Metal Fabrication Industry. WP7. Development of Procedures for Exposure Assessment at Workplaces of High Exposure in the Railway Industry. WP8. Development of Simple, User-Friendly Software Tools Allowing Evaluation of Exposure Based on Exposure Assessment According to Standardised Procedures with Harmonised Quality Criteria. WP9. Dissemination of the Results to Standardisation Bodies Such as CENELEC, IEC and the EU Commission. The primary results of the project will be ready at the time of the EU directive implementation and will significantly contribute to the legal certainty of the required workplace evaluations of which the industry and agency will benefit alike and therefore the economic benefit of this project for the EU is immense.
Technological Development Envisaged
Typically, incident magnetic fields are measured in the vicinity of the equipment. These free space fields are compared with the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection) reference levels (action values in EU Directive 2004/40/EC). Since they do not evaluate the induced current density in the body, they overestimate the exposure. For example, the current supplied to a modern train accelerating out of a station may easily lead to magnetic field levels for substation and trackside workers well above the action values of Directive 2004/40/EC. Several magnetic field probes are available on the market. These are often large in size and are designed for operation in spatially uniform fields. They have high measurement uncertainty in highly spatially varying fields found in areas relevant to the electric vehicle, railway and metal fabrication industries. In the exposure scenarios relevant to this study, exposure levels in the closest vicinity of the equipment can be very high, exceeding the action values in some cases. In these cases, simple analytical calculations or numerical methods may be applied to better estimate the incident or induced fields. The past has shown that transformations from free-space measurement to induced fields using such strong simplification may underestimate the human exposure when analysed with realistic human models. Erroneous methods may later result in costly legalisations. Therefore a strong scientific basis of the instrumentations and procedures are of ultimate importance.
Main contactAIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH Dipl. Ing. Dr. Georg Neubauer > Project Manager Organisation type > Research Institute |
Contribution to project
The contribution of AIT consists of the specification of adequate measurement equipment for the evaluation of exposure compared to action values with focus on the metal fabrication industry. Moreover, standardised methods to evaluate exposure will be developed. Transfer functions for this type of exposure (magnetic field measurements - exposure evaluation based on current densities or induced electric fields) will be developed. All tasks will be performed in close co-operation with the other work packages, in particular with WP2, WP3 and WP4. Special attention will be given to the problem of multi-source exposure. In the first stage metal fabrication technologies being relevant for EMF exposure will be assessed. Experimental evaluation of selected in-situ exposure scenarios and numerical validation are the next step, followed by the development of transfer functions. Finally, guidelines for the demonstration of compliance according to the requirements of the Directive 2004/40/EC will be developed. Apart from the investigations focussing on the exposure in the metal fabrication industry the general definition of guidelines for workplace assessment by employers will be developed. Moreover, guidelines for EMF data generation by manufacturers or authorities will be defined. Finally, a concept of a Web Based Risk Management Tool on an exposure database will be developed, a prototype of a such a tool will be tested.
Expertise
The AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH (AIT), formerly Austrian Research Centres GmbH-ARC, is an Austrian research institute with a European format and focuses on the key infrastructure issues of the future. The AIT, which comprises five independent and performance-driven departments (Energy, Mobility, Health & Environment, Safety & Security and Foresight & Policy Development), works in close collaboration with industry and customers from public institutions, striving to increase their added value through innovation and new technologies. The AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY is a highly-specialised Research & Development partner focusing on key infrastructure issues of the future. It is geared towards developing the methods and technologies of tomorrow for the innovations of the day after tomorrow. The AIT together with its wholly-owned subsidiary SEIBERSDORF LABORATORIES have more than 20 years of experience in the area of assessment and analysis of electromagnetic fields. Since more than 15 years the subsidiary Seibersdorf Laboratories is, accredited for Electromagnetic Compatibility, Antenna and Field Probe Calibration and for General Measurements of Electromagnetic Fields up to 40 GHz. Moreover, since more than 15 years the experts of the AIT and Seibersdorf Laboratories have successfully led and participated in more than 70 international and national research projects related to the assessment and analysis of personal electromagnetic exposure and possibly connected adverse health effects (total volume more than 5 million Euros). The outcome of these projects is documented in more than 30 peer reviewed papers in SCI-listed Journals (Bioelectromagnetics, IEEE Trans EMC, Physics in Medicine and Biology, Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Research, Mutation Research, Toxicology, BioMedical Engineering, Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift, International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health), more than 150 contributions to scientific conferences and numerous scientific reports. Furthermore, since 1995 more than 250 Expert Opinions about specific situations of personal exposure against various sources of electromagnetic fields (mainly related mobile communication equipment and installations) have been issued to our customers. The experts of AIT and Seibersdorf Laboratories have been members of international and national standards committees (CENELEC, IEC, Austrian Standardisation Institute) and contributed significantly to various standards related to limiting personal exposure against electromagnetic fields. Moreover, the research team focuses on new security architectures for end-to-end security across organisations, web-based business processes with regard to integrity and authenticity as well as non-deniability of transactions and access control. The main objective is to develop, in addition to new modelling approaches, appropriate tools, which allow cost efficient verification and validation of implemented security concepts in large business environments. Achievements: This research initiative has led to the development of a meta-model for web-based security service requirements (integrity and confidentiality). Based on this model, the AIT has developed a modelling tool for web-based security service requirements. This is an important prerequisite to perform relevant verification and validation processes.
Main contactTorptronics MscEE Tomas Nilsson > Owner http://torptronicsconsulting.com Organisation type > SME |
Contribution to project
The organisation will evaluate the measuring instruments available on the market and the instrumentation developed in WP2 and WP3 with respect to application in cars. TORPTRONICS CONSULTING will perform calculations of the induced current density (or induced electric field strength) in the body, using the tools developed in work package 4. These calculations will show how much the action value can be exceeded, before the limits are violated. We will analyse real cases, building on measurement of fields from conventional, hybrid and electric cars.
Expertise
* Modelling and calculation of low frequency magnetic fields. TORPTRONICS CONSULTING has developed a SW (software) program for simulation of magnetic fields from power lines. With this program we perform calculations of the magnetic field from power lines and railways. * The purpose is to evaluate the exposure in buildings along the lines. * Measurement, evaluation and reduction of low frequency magnetic fields. * We perform measurements and suggest methods for reduction of magnetic fields. * Design of electronic measuring equipment for electric and magnetic fields. * Training and workshops for measuring of low frequency electric and magnetic fields. * Long experience of EMC and safety testing.
Main contactRUG - Department of Information Technology (INTEC) - WiCa Research Group
Rijks Universiteit Gent Prof. Dr. Luc Martens > Organisation type > University |
Contribution to project
We will contribute to the following work packages: * We are work package leader to WP1. Classification of the In-Situ Exposure. * As we have already expertise in measuring in-situ exposures and developing tools to evaluate exposure from electromagnetic sources, we will contribute to the following work packages: WP2. Evaluation of Instrumentation for Incident Fields Measurements for the in-situ Assessment at Work Places. WP4. Development of the Simulation Tools for In-Situ Assessment. * Our preliminary expertise about electromagnetic exposure in industry lies in the metal fabrication industry where we have already executed non-systematic measurement campaigns. Therefore we will contribute to: WP6. Development of Procedures for Exposure Assessment in the Metal Fabrication Industry. * Because we have experience developing simple tools for exposure calculations and are involved in standardisation groups concerning electromagnetic exposure we will also contribute to: WP8. Development of simple, user-friendly software tools allowing evaluation of exposure based on exposure assessment according to standardised procedures with harmonised quality criteria. WP9. Dissemination of the results to standardisation bodies such as CENELEC, IEC and the EU commission.
Expertise
The Wireless & Cable research group of Prof. Luc Martens of the department of Information Technology of the UNIVERSITY OF GHENT in BELGIUM has substantial expertise in the modelling and measurement of electromagnetic exposure. Research in this field started in the eighties with the development of modelling and measurement tools for microwave hyperthermia, which is a cancer treatment therapy based on non-ionising radiation. Since then, the group has a great deal of experience in the modelling and measuring of electromagnetic fields in and around telecommunication systems such as GSM (Global Standard for Mobiles) base station antennas. The group of Prof. Luc Martens is also investigating user interaction with the radiation from mobile telephones. INTEC is involved in several industrial projects with Belgian industry and in European projects. The WICA executed several national and international projects concerning electromagnetic exposure. Prof. Luc Martens has been invited several times to give a talk on dosimetry for wireless communication and more than 250 publications show his expertise. Further, he has been and is an expert for the dosimetry aspects in the European COST244, COST244bis, COST281, and COST BM 0704 (Emerging EMF Technologies and Health Risk Management) projects and other European projects and is the Belgian representative in the CENELEC technical committee TC106X. He is also an advising expert for the Belgian Minister of Health and Environment.
Main contactSCHMID AND PARTNER ENGINEERING AG (SPEAG)
Dr. Sven Kuehn > Head of Sensor Technology Organisation type > SME |
Contribution to project
The organisation will contribute resources for most of WP3 and approximately half of WP4. SPEAG will also have a significant role in WP1. SPEAG will use its expertise in experimental and numerical dosimetry to develop measurement equipment for this project and bring it to market in time for the implementation of Directive 2004/40/EC. SPEAG will manufacture the experimental tools and provide the necessary software. SPEAG will also reach out to the work places that will use the equipment and expertise.
Expertise
SCHMID & PARTNER ENGINEERING AG (SPEAG) was founded in December 1994 as a spin-off company of the SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (ETH). Today, SPEAG is the leading company for manufacturing and providing experimental and numerical analysis and synthesis tools for the electromagnetic near-field and far-field, including compliance testing with exposure and dosimetric safety limits. The product lines DASY (www.speag.com) and SEMCAD (www.semcad.com) are applicable for free space as well as inside different media including biological tissues and have proven to be highly suitable for the optimisation of antennas, in particular for transmitters embedded in the complex environments of in-/on-body mounted transmitters. SPEAG assists its customers in telecommunications and related industries to determine, by measurements and computations, the potential necessity for the reduction of the electromagnetic exposure caused by their products. It is SPEAG's mission to continuously develop, manufacture and sell the world's best and most reliable systems to evaluate, design and optimise electronic equipment with respect to near-field, EMC and EMI issues. SPEAG also provides general sensors for reliable operation within electromagnetically hostile environments. Special emphasis is placed on the forthcoming technological revolution in the field of personal network applications (pervasive and wearable computing, life support systems and biometrics). SPEAG's sales have reached more than CHF 15 million in 2007. Since the 90s the company has generated a positive cash flow and profitable operations; both are the basis for current and future product development and research partnerships.
Main contactEMFields Ltd. Dr Philip Chadwick > Director Organisation type > SME |
Contribution to project
The organisation is a specialist consultancy company that is intimately involved with assessments and standardisation associated with Directive 2004/4/EC. In this project it will develop software tools for employers to use, and will be a major contributor to the work packages involving industrial EMF exposure assessment.
Expertise
EMFIELDS LTD is the leading consultancy company on occupational EMF exposures. It was the primary technical author of the official Commission Guide to Directive 2004/40/EC, and the primary technical author of the FICETTI project on the potential pan-European impact of the Directive. The measurement and assessment standards mandated to be used with the Directive have been prepared by a CENELEC committee chaired by the Director of EMFIELDS LTD. EMFIELDS' core business is the measurement and assessment of human exposure to electromagnetic fields, especially in industry. Its client base includes leading telecommunication and broadcast companies, power companies, metalworking industries and also national and EU-level agencies.
Main contactVolvo Personvagnar AB Mr. Kjell Attback > Attribut leader/Techn. Specialist EMC Organisation type > Large company |
Contribution to project
WP 5. Measurements and analyses of the in-homogeneous magnetic fields in the automobile.
Expertise
Mr. Attback has worked as a Technical Expert with EMC for 30 years as a Leader within VOLVO CARS and since 20 years including the area of electromagnetic fields and health effects.
Main contactYork EMC Services / University of York Mr. Chris Marshman > Managing Director Organisation type > University |
Contribution to project
Currently available measuring equipment for low frequency (less than 100 kHz) EM fields and their application in current standards will be investigated by YORK EMC SERVICES. Test jigs will be designed and constructed such that spatially uniform and non-uniform field distributions can be generated. These will be based on circular coils in both Helmholtz and non-Helmholtz configurations. The field patterns generated will be calculable from first principles. These will be used to investigate the performance of a range of currently available EMF low-frequency probes. The coils will be driven by various calibrated current sources: signal generators, power-frequency harmonics generators and transient generators, to provide a range of fields over the frequency range in question. The aim is to discover the: * Uncertainty levels (quoted and measured); * Performance in spatially non-uniform fields; * Performance in pulsed and temporally non-uniform fields; * Performance in multi-frequency fields of currently available EMF low-frequency probes. The outcome of this work is to determine how well contemporary field probes can report the magnitude of low frequency EMFs with respect to the ICNIRP reference levels (action limit values), in both uniform and varying fields, with either one single frequency or multiple frequency components. A secondary outcome will be a test system capable of providing field probe verification. The technical and commercial viability of this system will be explored.
Expertise
YORK EMC SERVICES (YES) is a subsidiary company of the UNIVERSITY OF YORK and a provider of commercial EMC services. The Managing Director of YES is Chris Marshman and the Technical Director is Professor Andy Marvin, also head of the Physical Layer Research Group in the Department of Electronics at the University of York. YES was established in December 1995 and in addition to CPD, consultancy services, and the design, manufacture and sale of EMC Test Verification equipment, it now operates state-of-the-art EMC Test Facilities in Leeds, Edinburgh and Bristol. These laboratories have been accredited by UKAS to perform EMC Testing (UKAS 1574). YES is also a Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Notified Body for the assessment of Technical Documentation (No 1892). YES has developed a particular strand of its business devoted to carrying out electromagnetic site surveys in a diverse range of environments. These can range from measurements made inside a small office to those made in proposed development areas and at the side of the railway. Such site surveys can be carried out to assess occupational health threats under Directive 2004/40/EC. Whilst YORK EMC SERVICES (YES) has acquired a wealth of practical EMC experience we have the back-up and access to the EMC research undertaken within the Physical Layer Research Group (PL) based in the Department of Electronics, University of York and led by Professor Andy Marvin. The PL Group is comprised of around forty academic staff, research staff and research students. The Bilog wideband antenna was invented and modelled within the PL Group. In excess of 5,000 Bilogs are now in use world-wide. The Comparison Noise Emitter (CNE) was originally developed by the PL Group and has been marketed by YES. This stable broadband noise source is used world-wide by testing laboratories. Much of the group's work has been associated with the development of new EMC measurement techniques. These have included techniques for low frequency resonance damping in screened enclosures and transfer standard techniques for low frequency emission measurements. Both of these have been incorporated into Def Std 59/41, now Def Stan 59/411. Work was undertaken on inter-site correlation techniques for radiated emission measurements which account for the complexity of the EUT and imperfections in the measurement sites (including GTEM cells). This work forms the basis of YORK's contribution to a joint IEC/CISPR study on TEM cells. Our work on shielding measurements is incorporated in updates to IEEE Std 299 (Shielding Effectiveness Measurements). Currently the group's major EMC research effort is associated with simulations and measurements of complex EMC problems using statistical techniques. Much or our work is associated with mode-stirred chambers and other reverberant environments often associated with different types of vehicles. We are a work-package leader in the FP7 project "High Intensity Radiated Field - Synthetic Environment" researching ways of using computational techniques to replace measurements in airframe design and certification. Considerable work has been undertaken into SAR measurements under the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research programme, with spin-outs into interdisciplinary medical research.
Main contactFronius International GmbH Ing., MSc Peter Mair > R&D Compliance Engineering TL EMC/EMF Organisation type > Large company |
Contribution to project
WP 6. Analysis of typical exposure scenarios (e.g. working positions, source topologies and signal waveforms) in electric welding situations. Consideration of heterogeneous fields, pulsed signals and multiple sources in a metal fabrication workplace. Consideration of frequently changing exposure situations during a working day (e.g. due to changing equipment settings, positions of the worker, workpieces and machinery combinations). WP 8. Concept for the use of existing manufacturers data (compiled for equipment compliance purposes) for workplace assessment. Clustering of complex data (e.g. for numerous different equipment settings). Quality criteria and common format for EMF data. Platform for the collection and distribution of EMF data to employers. WP 9. Communication with relevant standardisation bodies (e.g. CLC TC 26A, TC 26B, TC 106X) and input for existing and upcoming standardisation projects. Communication with relevant sectoral organisations (e.g. CEEMET, EWA, etc.).
Expertise
More than 15 years of practical experience in EMC/EMF testing and certification, based on heading the company owned EMC/EMF lab and collaboration with test bodies and institutes. More than 15 years of active work in national and international standardisation committees in the field of safety, EMC and EMF (OEK, CLC and IEC).
Main contactCHALMERS UNIV. OF TECHNOLOGY / Dept. of Signals and Systems PROF. YNGVE HAMNERIUS > HEAD OF THE BIOELECTROMAGNETICS GROUP Organisation type > University |
Contribution to project
The organisation will be project leader for Work Package 5 - Development of Procedures for Exposure Assessment from Automobiles. Development of measurement methods and performing simulations of electromagnetic fields in cars will be performed by CHALMERS.
Expertise
The group of Prof. Yngve Hamnerius of the Department of Signals & Systems of CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY in SWEDEN has a large expertise in measurement and modelling of electromagnetic exposure as well as studies of biological effects of electromagnetic fields. The research in that field started in the seventies with the development of microwave exposure systems for bio-effect studies. The group has worked on measuring and modelling electromagnetic fields from automobiles, power lines, electric trains, welding and telecommunication systems such as GSM base station antennas and TV and radio transmitters. The group also worked on computer simulations of the fields from mobile phone antennas and the absorption in the human body. Prof. Yngve Hamnerius has been a board member of the Bioelectromagnetics Society and founding board member of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association, he is a member of the Management Committee of COST Action BM 0704. He is also chairman of section K of the Swedish National committee of Radio Science (URSI Sweden) and of the Radiation Protection Committee of the Royal Academy of Sweden.
Main contactFOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN SOCIETY (IT'IS) / ETH Zurich PROF. DR. NIELS KUSTER > DIRECTOR Organisation type > Research Institute |
Contribution to project
The organisation will be responsible for WP3 and WP4, as well as managing the project as a whole. The IT'IS FOUNDATION will also be actively involved in WP1 and WP2, and will assist with the assessments in WP5, WP6 and WP7. The primary responsibilities of the IT'IS FOUNDATION will be the development of measurement instrumentation (WP3 and WP4), including design, production, analysis, validation, uncertainty and the transfer matrix for correlation with human exposure.
Expertise
The FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN SOCIETY (IT'IS) was founded on November 15th, 1999 through the initiative and support of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), the global wireless communications industry and several governmental agencies. The aim was to create a flexible and dynamic research institution capable of addressing the research needs of society in the explosively expanding field of information technologies and medical applications of electromagnetic fields. Some of the areas encompassed are: * Evaluation of the safety and risks related to current and emerging information technologies; * Exploration of information technologies for medical, diagnostic and life support systems; * Improvement of the accessibility of information technologies for all members of society including disabled persons. IT'IS is committed to the advancement of science for the benefit of society at large and to maintaining strict independence from any particular interest groups. These principles are reflected in the foundation's charter as well as the balance of the composition of its board with distinguished personalities from science, the public sector and the global wireless communications industry. IT'IS is a tax-exempted non-profit research organisation. Over the past years, IT'IS has contributed significantly towards the understanding of the interaction of electromagnetic fields and biological tissue. This includes the development of numerical and experimental dosimetric tools as well as the assessment of health hazards due to exposure to electromagnetic fields in cooperation with biological and medical research groups worldwide. The achievements of IT'IS which have been accomplished in numerous research projects include that the organisation has: - Established itself as the world's leading competence centre for experimental and numerical RF near-field evaluations, risk assessment and the safe applications of wireless technologies for medical, health maintenance and quality of life support systems. - Contributed to the development of key technology for the experimental evaluation of SAR with utmost accuracy and repeatability. - Contributed to the development of the most advanced numerical tools for the simulation and modelling of RF applications in general and numerical dosimetry in particular. - Developed exposure setups for in-vivo and in-vitro exposure as well as for human studies. These setups have successfully been used in numerous studies with research partners all over the world. - Provided fundamental insight on the coupling of electromagnetic fields into tissue under different exposure conditions. - Developed standardised methods for the compliance testing of wireless devices based on RF safety limits. - Set hallmarks with respect to validation and uncertainty assessment in dosimetric studies. - Published its work in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, in 8 books and in almost 300 conference proceedings. The group citation index in 2006 was 162.
