In a £3.2 million project funded through the UK government, scientists from QinetiQ and the University of Exeter are studying the wings of butterflies to develop new anti-counterfeit RFID technologies.

The surface of a butterfly’s wing controls light to produce colorful iridescence through subtle changes in size and shape of tiny scales. By manipulating electromagnetic radiation in the UHF band, scientists are looking to produce the same effect, which will help to eliminate interference and improve security, accuracy and performance.

The team hopes to reveal its first innovation in spring 2010.

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