- press release
World’s First Prototype of a New Wireless Tag Integrating Active and Passive RFID —Aiming to Enhance Logistics Convenience for Future Use in Pallet Management Systems—
2026年9月9日
Keio University, UPR Corporation, and Japan Radio Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “the three parties”) have jointly developed a prototype of a new wireless tag (provisionally named the “DXh tag”), which extends the functionality of the wireless tag (DX tag) used in UPR’s pallet management system “Smart Pallet,” a system utilizing wireless communication jointly developed and deployed by UPR and JRC. “Smart Pallet®” has been in operation for nearly ten years and is used by many customers. Going forward, the three parties will further promote research and development of the new tag based on this prototype and contribute to greater efficiency in future logistics operations.
The conventional DX tag is an active RFID device powered solely by a primary battery, featuring long-range communication and long service life. In contrast, the DXh tag combines the DX tag with a passive RFID chip that enables battery-less wireless communication. This hybrid design realizes passive wireless communication that allows for fast data reading and writing without using a battery. Sensor-enabled RFID was approved as the international standard ISO/IEC 18000-65 in February 2026, and this is the world’s first 920 MHz-band active/passive hybrid tag.
By integrating the DXh tag into the Smart Pallet system, more flexible and advanced operation becomes easier. Major benefits include modifying various system parameters such as transmission radio frequencies, trigger ultra-low power wake-ups from sleep mode, facilitating joint collection of pallets that already carry standard UHF-band passive RFID tags, and streamlining cargo tracking by rapidly linking the pallet with the tagged cargo it carries.
For more details, please see the press release (PDF) available [here].