AI-Powered sign language glove earns EdUHK first prize at Huawei ICT Competition

A student team from the BSc (Hons) in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology (BSc(AI&EdTech)) programme won First Prize in the Innovation Competition AI Track at the Huawei ICT Competition 2025–2026 Hong Kong SAR Final on 7 February. Their innovative project, “Interpreter Gloves for Chinese Sign Language”, was designed to support people with hearing and speech impairments. This achievement highlights EdUHK’s outstanding strength in nurturing AI talent, and marks the first time an EdUHK team has won first prize in the Huawei ICT Competition.

Supervised by Dr Haoran Cheung Ho-yin, the award-winning team comprises third-year students Huang Yusi and Liu Xiaobin, and first-year student Deng Yixuan, all from the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (MIT). Drawing on their expertise in artificial intelligence, the team tackled long-standing communication barriers between people with hearing and speech impairments and the wider community. Their solution: an intelligent sign language translation glove purpose-built for Chinese Sign Language (CSL) users, offering a new approach to accessible communication.

The project integrates Huawei AI technologies, including MindSpore and CANN, with advanced edge computing, sensor technologies, and deep learning algorithms. The wearable glove uses high-precision flex sensors and an inertial measurement unit to capture CSL gestures in real time. Through on-device AI inference, gestures are converted into speech and text, enabling seamless communication without requiring network connectivity. With its human-centred design, the project addresses key limitations of existing sign language translation technologies, such as restricted mobility and reliance on external devices, and demonstrates broad potential across Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) and assistive technology applications.

The competition posed significant technical challenges. As the three students had limited prior experience in circuit design and hardware development, they had to rapidly acquire skills in integrating software and hardware seamlessly. “Identifying the genuine needs of deaf and mute users, given the limitations of existing translation gloves on the market, was another major challenge. Through user research and interviews, we came to understand their pain points more precisely, which allowed us to improve our design to better reflect users’ needs," said team captain Huang Yusi.

On the algorithmic side, the team struggled to implement a transformer model for real-time translation. “Our coursework didn’t cover such advanced topics, so we had to independently learn about data preprocessing, model training, and system optimisation for accurate performance,” she explained. Yusi added that the team was overjoyed to have their dedication recognised. “The award affirms our efforts to integrate knowledge across disciplines and apply AI to make a real difference in people’s lives,” she said.

The Huawei ICT Competition is an annual global event organised by Huawei for higher education institutions, providing an international platform for competition and exchange among students and faculty. Now in its ninth edition, the competition has seen participation grow steadily worldwide. In the Chinese Mainland, it is included on the national list of university student competitions; internationally, it is recognised as a flagship partner project of UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy.

This year’s Hong Kong event attracted over 900 participants from 16 tertiary institutions. Following months of online training, preliminary rounds, and multiple stages of professional evaluation, 30 teams advanced to the finals across three tracks: Cloud, Computing, and Innovation Competition AI. The champion team from each track will represent Hong Kong at the Asia-Pacific Regional Competition in Indonesia in April 2026.

This victory affirms the professional competence and innovative spirit of EdUHK students, and further underscores the strength of the University’s AI and Educational Technology programme in interdisciplinary integration and industry–academia–research collaboration. “To support the University’s vision for AI education, MIT will continue to strengthen talent development in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, provide more opportunities for students to compete at the highest levels, and encourage young talent to apply their expertise to drive innovation and create greater social value,” said Dr Haoran Cheung.

Following their victory in the Innovation Competition AI Track, the EdUHK team is now preparing in earnest for the regional finals, continuing to refine their project and optimise the technical details of the interpreter glove, ready to showcase EdUHK students’ innovative capabilities on a larger stage.