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No chip on his shoulder - just one in his arm
The experiment, believed to be the first of its kind, means a computer can keep track of the device and its carrier.
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The chip has been inserted in Professor Kevin Warwick's upper arm.
The professor, from the University of Reading, in England, is taking part in the experiment to highlight some of the dangers of the technology.
Adpating technology
The technology itself is not new. Silicon chips are already used in many countries to identify animals.
A digital reader can pick up a unique code for the device which is placed under the skin.
The chips can be used to reunite lost pets with their owners and identify animals which have received vaccinations for certain diseases.
More sophisticated
The implant in Professor Warwick's body is more sophisticated. Sensors can be set up to pinpoint his location and even switch on lights automatically when he enters a room on campus.
But he says the real reason for having the chip inserted was to demonstrate the sinister side of the pushing the frontiers of technology forward.
"There are positive sides and negative sides - postive in helping people around big building, negative are the big big brother issues - machines or computers controlling humans," he said.
He says that if their use became widespread we would never enjoy any privacy and could be followed and identified wherever we went.
Future possibilities
Professor Warwick's device, which will be removed after a week, carries 64 pieces of information.
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But they could also be used to carry personal information such as bank details or credit ratings.
"If we look to the future, compared with what this small chip contains now, in five or six years time the amount of information and the amount of processing capabilites will be enormous," Professor Warwick said.
Criminal offenders and even babies can already be tracked using electronic tagging devices attached to their body, the next step could be to implant silicon chips instead.