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Research will enable better assessment of energy from mobile phone electromagnetic fields

 EMPIR project <link research-innovation search-research-projects details>‘SAR measurement using vector probes’ (16NRM07, Vector SAR) is working to develop measurement methods and software to enable the measurement of energy absorbed by users from mobile phone electromagnetic fields.

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is a measure of the rate at which energy is absorbed by the human body when exposed to a radio frequency electromagnetic field and must be evaluated during the production of smartphones.

The traceable calibration methods, software, modelling tools and uncertainty analysis developed by this project will allow SAR measurement equipment manufacturers to have better quality control of their products and provide greater confidence in their measurement accuracy. 

Work of the project to date includes:

• Industrial partner KAPTEOS, who manufacture electromagnetism measuring instruments, provided two optical vector probes (eoProbe) for test measurements at project partner NPL. These showed excellent performance, thus validating the use of eoProbes as reference probes. This is an important step in demonstrating the reliability of the measurement methods developed by the project.
• Industrial partner ART-FI , who provide SAR measurement solutions for mobile phones, presented a new and efficient procedure for the evaluation of the true SAR exposure level. This procedure is to be validated within the project by National Measurement Institutes, industrials and academics.

This EMPIR project is co-funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the EMPIR Participating States.

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