Exploring the viability of quantum computing in air traffic control
Micro-SME Quantum Base Alpha is exploring the potential of quantum computing for solving some of the world's greatest challenges.
David Curry Founder and CEO, QBA"Our partnership with EPCC, leveraging their exceptional HPC infrastructure and quantum systems expertise, has been instrumental in investigating using the potential power of quantum computing to optimise aircraft flight trajectories to reduce carbon emissions. This collaboration marks a significant stride in decarbonising aviation through computational innovation with a broader target of a more sustainable future for air travel and global net zero."
David Curry, the founder and CEO of Quantum Base Alpha (QBA), started the company to explore the potential benefits of using quantum computing to help make the air travel industry more fuel efficient, and therefore more prepared for reaching the strict net zero targets imposed by the UK and the European Union.
The challenge
QBA wanted to explore whether quantum computing can optimise and speed up machine learning for air traffic control. The use of machine learning promises great benefits for the industry, and could mitigate the stressful and intensive tasks of air traffic operators. However, machine learning training and deployment can require significant compute resources. When it becomes ready, quantum computing could potentially be more efficient at training machine-learning models than traditional computing.
QBA sought the help of EPCC to develop and test a quantum machine-learning algorithm that could demonstrate the viability of this method for supporting air traffic control decisions.
Our solution
EPCC worked with QBA to develop a proof-of-concept application to demonstrate that quantum computing has the potential to assist air traffic control operations as the technology becomes more viable. We showed that current quantum annealing computers can be used to correctly identify the optimal trajectory between two points for an aeroplane in a simulated airspace. While the quantum solution currently solves this problem significantly more slowly than a classical algorithm, we were able to predict the size of the airspace at which quantum solutions would outperform classical ones. Furthermore, with our work we can predict how much more quickly a result can be obtained as quantum annealing computing improves in efficiency.
Contact us
To explore how EPCC's expertise can support your business goals, please contact our Commercial Manager, Julien Sindt.