Student wins Apple Swift challenge with caring eyes

"For WWDC25, I'm particularly looking forward to learning more about Vision Pro development. With the arrival of the spatial computing era, I hope to expand my sign language learning application to this new platform, creating a more immersive learning experience," Xu says.

"I also focus on the latest advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence, and look forward to integrating these technologies into my app to improve sign language recognition accuracy and user experience."

Xu was excited to present her project to Apple CEO Tim Cook along with other student winners on June 8. She recalled receiving her first electronic device, an iPad 2, when she was 11 years old.

"Back then, as a child immersed in mobile games, I never imagined that one day my own creations would run on iPads. My long-term aspiration is to become an independent developer, as transforming creative ideas into real applications gives me a deep sense of fulfillment."

Cook says: "I was thrilled to meet Tianyu at Apple Park, where I got to see the inspiring work she's doing to make technology more accessible and lower communication barriers for the deaf community.

"Every time I visit China, I love meeting iOS developers who harness the power of technology to enrich people's lives. Tianyu is part of an incredible generation using their talent to improve people's lives and shape a better future, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does next," Cook says.

In March, Apple announced it is accelerating support for the next generation of developers in China with a 30 million yuan ($4.2 million) donation to Zhejiang University. Apple will partner with the university, which is also the organizer of the Mobile Application Innovation Contest, to establish the Apple App Incubation Fund, offering training in the latest technologies.

The contest is celebrating its 10th anniversary since 2016. It has attracted more than 30,000 students from nearly 1,000 universities and helped hundreds of colleges and universities set up iOS clubs, according to Apple.