BMW Launches “Quantum Computing Challenge” in Collaboration with AWS to Crowd-Source Innovation

(ZDNet) BMW has been quietly ramping up plans for the moment when quantum computing reaches maturity.
Most recently, the company just launched a “quantum computing challenge” – a call for talent designed to encourage external organizations to come up with solutions that will help the car manufacturer make the best use of quantum technologies. “It’s a search for hidden gems,” Oliver Wick, technology scout at BMW Research and Technology, recently told ZDNet Hardware.
“It’s a clear message to the world that BMW is working on quantum, and if you have innovative algorithms or great hardware, then please come to us and we can check if we could use it for BMW.”

BMW wants to see specific challenges addressed:
*In the pre-production stage, quantum algorithms could help optimize the configuration of features for the limited number of cars that can be assembled for various tests, so that as many tests as possible can be carried out with a minimal amount of resources.
*Optimization algorithms could improve sensor placement on vehicles, to make sure that the final configurations of sensors can reliably detect obstacles in different driving scenarios.
*Simulation of material deformation during production, to predict costly problems in advance, as well as for the use of quantum machine learning to classify imperfections, cracks and scratches during automated quality inspection.
*The use of quantum machine learning to classify imperfections, cracks and scratches during automated quality inspection.

Participants are required to submit a concept proposal for any of the four challenges, after which a panel of experts will shortlist the most promising ideas. The successful candidates will then have a few months to build out their solutions on Amazon Braket, before pitching them next December. Winning ideas will earn a contract with BMW to implement their projects in real-life pilots.