QCI Qatalyst selected by BMW Group and Amazon Web Services as a finalist in the Quantum Computing Challenge

(InsideHPC) Quantum Computing Inc. (Nasdaq: QUBT), a leader in bridging the power of classical and quantum computing, announced that its Qatalyst ready-to-run quantum software was selected as one of three finalists for the second and final round of the BMW Group and Amazon Web Services (AWS) Quantum Computing Challenge for the Vehicle Sensor Placement use case.
The Quantum Computing Challenge invited the quantum community to apply innovations in quantum computing to real world problems in industrial applications. The use case problems presented in the challenge represent critical commercial applications that demonstrate the real-world value of quantum computing.
BMW stated that its goal with the challenge is to “tap into additional innovative power, inspire new thinking, and create opportunities for quantum builders to work with BMW on meaningful business problems.”
The Vehicle Sensor Placement use case challenges participants to find optimal configurations of sensors for a given vehicle so that it can reliably detect obstacles in different driving scenarios – using quantum computing or nature-inspired optimization approaches. The number of sensors per car is expected to increase significantly as autonomous driving becomes more common. Vehicles need sensors to gather data from as large a portion of their surroundings as possible, but each sensor adds additional costs, so optimizing the sensor placement uses genetic algorithms. The goal of the challenge is to use quantum computing techniques to optimize the positions of sensors, enabling maximum coverage while keeping costs to a minimum.
The BMW Group Quantum Computing Challenge is open to participants from research groups and companies worldwide. The challenge is organized into two rounds. In the first round, participants need to submit a well-documented concept proposal for one of four use case challenges, described below. In the second and final round, teams with the top three submissions in each use case will be asked to build out their solutions. The final, virtual presentation to the competition’s judging panel, including domain experts from BMW and AWS will take place in December.
“This Challenge is yet another step in showcasing quantum computing’s potential for commercial applications and real-world business problem solving,” said Bob Liscouski, CEO of QCI. “We are pleased that we have been selected to participate in the final level of competition, and our team will work hard to demonstrate the power of Qatalyst. Regardless of the final outcome, we believe that the applications for quantum computing will significantly increase over the coming years, and QCI is well positioned to be a key player.”