Last weekend, something special happened in Shenzhen. For the very first time, the Meshtastic and Seeed Studio came together for an official workshop in China — and the result was more than just a tech meetup. It was a celebration of open-source spirit, real-world collaboration, and the people behind the nodes.

A Rainy Day, A Room Full of Energy

Despite the downpour outside, the energy inside Chaihuo x.factory was electric. Over 50 attendees joined us, ranging from long-time Meshtastic contributors to curious first-timers. Laptops were out, hardware was flashing, and everyone came ready to learn, connect, and mesh.

Faces Behind the Frequencies

We were honored to receive a warm video message from Jonathan Bennett, CEO of Meshtastic, who couldn’t join in person but sent his excitement across the ocean.

Meanwhile, Manuel, Meshtastic’s core developer, flew in from Germany to join us on-site. He shared real-time updates on MUI developments, and teased future ideas that had everyone buzzing.

Didier, Meshtastic business manager, shared field stories about mesh range tests run with the Seeed team from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.

Hays, moderator of the Chinese MeshCN community, told his origin story — how he stumbled upon Meshtastic and decided to build a community for Chinese users, and how the community grows.

Dove, a passionate ham radio operator as well as the member from MeshCN, brought a unique perspective on the role of Meshtastic in amateur radio.

On Seeed’s side, our product manager Yilin walked everyone through our range of Meshtastic-compatible hardware — including the XIAO ESP32S3 & Wio-SX1262 Dev Kit, XIAO nRF52 & Wio-SX1262 Dev Kit, SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E, SenseCAP Indicator, SenseCAP Solar Node P1/P1 Pro, and the entire Wio Tracker L1 Series, and more.

Application engineer Spencer demoed the the Hazard Response Mission Pack — an open-source AIoT solution designed to efficiently manage and mitigate hazard scenarios based on Meshtastic.

Let’s Mesh — Real Hands-On, Real Learning

This is where the magic happened. Every participant received a XIAO ESP32S3 & Wio-SX1262 Dev Kit and rolled up their sleeves for a fully guided build session.

With Seeed engineers Jessie and Dylan, and workshop hosts Zero and Lucy, everyone followed a clear, structured workflow:

• Flash the latest Meshtastic firmware
• Assemble the development kit
• Connect the node to the Meshtastic app / Web cilent
• Configure settings and test message sending

Once the nodes were live, we kicked off a simulation game designed to bring mesh networking into the real world. In a post-disaster scenario where all traditional infrastructure was down, participants were split into rescue teams and survivors.

Using only their newly built devices, they had to:

• Broadcast SOS messages via channel
• Send direct instructions between teams
• Relay information across nodes using mesh hopping

With over 50 active nodes in the room, the mesh network lit up — both on screens and through the atmosphere. People were troubleshooting, discovering features, and getting that “aha!” moment about how offline mesh communication really works.

“This was the first time I truly felt how mesh networking works — and why it matters.”

Why It Mattered

Workshops like this aren’t just about products or protocols — they’re about people. Meeting face-to-face builds trust, sharpens feedback, and reveals needs that are often missed online. Whether it was a curious first-timer discovering SenseCAP T1000-E for tracking, or an experienced developer comparing DIY antenna setups, each moment brought the community closer.

This event also affirmed our belief: Seeed is here not only to supply hardware, but to co-build ecosystems. We’re committed to supporting open-source communities like Meshtastic by listening, contributing, and helping turn ideas into reality.

Looking Forward

We’re immensely grateful to everyone who joined us — speakers, guests, community leaders, and curious builders. This won’t be the last workshop. We’re already exploring what’s next — whether in Shenzhen or other cities where the community calls.

Until then, keep meshing, keep building, and stay connected — even when you’re off the grid.

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