SparkLink Cup fosters talent for emerging wireless ecosystem

The national finals of the 2nd SparkLink Cup Application Game were held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center on Nov. 6-7. As a key event of the Consumer Electronics Innovation Congress (CEIC), the finals brought together 24 teams to showcase their creative applications of this cutting-edge wireless technology.

The booth of International SparkLink Alliance showing its communication solutions. Photos by Zhen Jianhong

Zeng Guosong, secretary-general of the International SparkLink Alliance, highlighted the competition's rapid growth. "The SparkLink Cup was first held in 2023. This year, we expanded the competition and opened it to makers," he said.

This year's competition attracted 824 teams from 217 higher education institutions. After several rounds of regional contests, 24 teams advanced to the national finals in Shenzhen.

A staff member introduces products that utilize SparkLink communication technology to the audience.

The contest encouraged participants to apply SparkLink technology across diverse fields, leveraging their creativity to explore its full potential.

Reflecting on the broader technological progress, Zeng outlined the maturity of the SparkLink ecosystem. "Since its inception in 2020, just over five years ago, we have made significant progress," he stated. "Our standards have been updated to version 2.0, with 64 specifications released." He emphasized the standard's official recognition, noting that "Three of these have even been adopted as industry standards by national ministries, and two have been recognized as national standards."

Li Haonan (L) and a teammate present their sign language translation glove at the SparkLink Cup finals on Nov. 6.

During the content Nov. 6, finalist Li Haonan from Zhengzhou University of Light Industry Maker Studio, along with his teammate, presented their sign language translation gloves. The device can translate sign language into audible speech in real-time.

"The glove utilizes an end-to-end SparkLink wireless connection," Li explained. "This technology solved the issue of unsynchronized data between the two hands, which significantly improves translation accuracy."

A sign language translation glove, designed by Li Haonan and his team, is demonstrated at the CEIC, showing how it collects data.

After three rounds of product upgrades, Li firmly believes that combining SparkLink with deep learning can help hearing-impaired people communicate without barriers. Following the competition, he noted the inspiring breadth of applications he witnessed, from smart buildings and intelligent lighting to accessibility and industrial inspection.

Beyond showcasing immediate innovations, Zeng positioned the event as a crucial talent pipeline. "But having standards is not enough. We need to industrialize them, and that requires talent across various sectors," he remarked. "The SparkLink Cup is, in fact, preparing the future workforce and reserve forces for these industries."

Looking ahead, Zeng connected the event to a larger mission. "This exhibition is called CEIC, which sounds like 'seek'. We are really focusing on the word 'innovation'," he said, referencing the Consumer Electronics Innovation Congress. "We hope that through events like this, we can send a call to the global industry: Let's join hands to build new technical standards, create new industrial ecosystems, and explore new blue oceans in the future consumer market."