The University of Petra achieved a distinguished Arab-level accomplishment as its student team, Vcoders, secured second place in the FULL ROBOT TRACK competition during the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Competition organized by the Arab Open University. The event brought together more than 400 teams from eight Arab countries, showcasing the remarkable level of innovation and technological advancement among Arab youth.

The achievement was realized through the innovative smart project “Palm Guard," developed by University of Petra students Abdulrahman Alaa Al-Haimouni, Abdulrahman Ali Al-Kurdi, and Zaid Mahmoud Abu Al-Shaar. The team demonstrated outstanding technical competence and creativity in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence, earning second place across the Arab world after delivering an exceptional performance throughout the competition stages.

The team participated under the supervision of Dr. Abdul Karim Misbah Al-Banna, Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Petra. Dr. Al-Banna played a key role in supporting the students, overseeing the project's development, and fostering a culture of innovation and creativity within the university, in line with its commitment to empowering students and preparing them to compete in regional and international scientific forums.

Palm Guard is among the advanced technological projects that reflect the University of Petra's vision of utilizing artificial intelligence and smart technologies to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges. This approach contributed to the project's distinction among hundreds of participating teams representing various Arab universities and institutions.

The team members emphasized that this achievement marks an important milestone in their academic and technical journey and serves as a strong motivation to continue developing innovative projects that carry the University of Petra's name to regional and international platforms. They also noted that the university's supportive environment for innovation played a pivotal role in their success.

This accomplishment reflects the University of Petra's commitment to strengthening its position as a leading academic institution in fostering creativity and innovation, while preparing a generation of students capable of excelling and competing in advanced technology and artificial intelligence fields at both regional and international levels.