The "Petra Challengers" team from the University of Petra won the 3rd place in the Intel ChallenegeMe Awards Ceremony "An Internet of Things IoT Competetion" for the MENA Region which was held for the first time in the region in Beirut on the 11/11/2015.
The Petra Challengers team which consisted of IT students Tamara Jbouri, Ghayath Ariqsousi, and Sanad Burjawi entered the competition with their invention of a device for Neck treatment based on the concept of "Internet of Things" employing the Intel Galileo Board. This device works in three stages: Heat and Vibration Stage, Stretching Exercises Stage, and finally the Cervical Traction Stage. This device can be configured and monitored by the treating physician over the internet without the need to be present with the patient.
The Intel ChallengeMe is a new competition which is a variation of previous competition called "Intel Business Challenge". This competition emphasizes on the use of the new concept known as "Internet of Things" or "IoT" due to its importance as indicated by the MENA General Manager who predicts that in 2020 there would be more than 50 Billion Device around the world connoted through the internet.
According to the organizers of the event, more than seven hundred teams entered the competition representing the MENA region and North Africa. Only eighty teams were qualified in the first round, and only 14 teams were eligible to present their projects in Lebanon. Prior to entering the competition the "Petra Challangers" had to go through a rigorous training camp lasted for several weeks on the usage and programming of the Intel Galileo Board.
The Petra Challengers were the only team from Jordan to be amongst the winners and to receive an award of 2500 US Dollars, and a trip to attend a workshop in Dubi. According to the Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology at the University of Petra, Prof. Ghassan Issa, this win comes as a result of the joint efforts of faculty members and staff at the University of Petra, starting from the top level administration and ending with each member of faculty, staff, and technician. Special thanks to students and their mentors: Mr. Abedelkarim El-Banan, Mr. Izzedin Matar, Mr. Bashar Badran, and Mr. Mahmoud Afghani.
