Rabat hosts first national robotics competition bringing together deaf and hearing youth

The Lalla Asmaa Foundation, chaired by Princess Lalla Asmaa, is organizing the first edition of the national robotics competition «Parking au Top» this Saturday at the library of Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health (UM6SS) in Rabat. The event will bring together nearly 200 middle school, high school, and university students from across Morocco around a technological and educational challenge focused on robotics and innovation.

The competition will also feature deaf, hearing-impaired, and cochlear implant students from the Foundation’s centers, competing alongside hearing participants under the same technical and evaluation conditions.

According to a statement from the Foundation, the event aims to showcase the creativity and scientific excellence of Moroccan youth through the design and operation of robots capable of parking trailers in a two-level parking structure, using both remote-controlled and autonomous modes.

The competition is divided into two categories. The «Junior» category is aimed at middle and high school students, whose remote-controlled robots must complete a course requiring precision and technical mastery. The «Senior» category is reserved for university and engineering students and includes advanced functions such as line tracking, obstacle avoidance, and autonomous navigation.

Beyond the competition itself, participants will also present their technological projects and innovations before a jury composed of professionals and industry experts. Two special awards will recognize the best innovations in the Junior and Senior categories, while a total of eight trophies will be awarded during this first edition, organized with the support of the Mohammed VI Foundation of Sciences and Health and private partners Raynov and Robotics by IARETech.

The initiative forms part of the Foundation’s broader efforts to promote science and technology among deaf and hearing-impaired youth. Robotics and digital technologies are already integrated into the educational programs of the Foundation’s centers in Rabat, Tangier, and Meknes, from primary school through high school, with academic partnerships also supporting higher education in electronics, computer science, and robotics.