(ComputerWorld.au) Ford Motor Company is seeking a quantum algorithms researcher to be located at Ford’s Research and Innovation Center in Michigan to conduct research to develop algorithms and create proof-of-concept demonstrations of “quantum or hybrid optimisation algorithms relevant to automotive use cases”. In the position listing, the car manufacturer said that it was beginning to “explore emerging alternative computing platforms including quantum computing” as a way of solving “complex applications, including traffic optimization, autonomous vehicle machine learning, vehicle route planning, and material sciences”.
Ford will be working with NASA’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at its Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, in a use case aimed at helping commercial fleet owners to more efficiently manage fuel usage. Other potential applications for quantum computing touted by Ford include materials development and battery chemistry optimization.