The auto industry has one of the most complex industrial environments. High capital costs, technologically sophisticated products with thousands of parts, severe environmental and product liability laws, and fickle customers driven by fashion make this business extremely challenging.
QC is already impacting automotive players in areas such as route optimization and accelerating learning in autonomous vehicle navigation algorithms. However, QC can do much more for the industry in the long term.
Autonomous Vehicles
As technology history is filled with disruptive pairings, AI tools and quantum computing may prove to be the next major milestone. This is because quantum computing offers the power to accelerate tried-and-true machine learning (ML) algorithms.
ML allows computers to analyze data and make decisions without being programmed in specific ways. The result is that the algorithm can learn over time and improve its performance.
The benefit of this is that autonomous vehicles can operate safely and efficiently. They would eliminate human error, reduce costs associated with car ownership and maintenance, and provide new efficiencies.
Autonomous cars are expected to grow to become a massive part of the global economy. They will create a significant amount of value and enable many business benefits.
Climate Change
QC is already helping automakers to optimize their manufacturing processes, model traffic flow and create new mobility services. It can also help them identify variable correlations and enhance pattern recognition for improved classification.
In the long term, quantum computing could allow automakers to better simulate materials and other physical properties at the atomic level, like battery and fuel cell chemistry. This could lead to less expensive testing, cutting out the need for prototypes and faster production times.
As the quantum computing era nears, IT service providers must educate themselves and prepare their clients for its arrival. This includes creating a roadmap for the integration of quantum computing into the existing IT ecosystem. It also includes identifying and evaluating potential business opportunities that can benefit from quantum technology.
Traffic Flow Optimization
AVs are poised to transform traffic management systems by communicating seamlessly with one another, allowing them to optimize their movements in response to incoming traffic information. These vehicles analyze diverse sources of data, including sensors and cameras, to gauge prevailing conditions, such as road quality and congestion levels.
Quantum AI techniques can improve ML models by improving prediction rates and pattern recognition. They also help in reducing noise in the system and identifying new data points. In addition, they can reduce the need for data retraining.
Predictive Maintenance
The car industry has a lot on its plate: high capital investments, technologically sophisticated products that require a massive amount of testing and a long product development cycle, severe environmental and product liability laws, fickle customers driven by fashion, and complex supply chains. To increase productivity and reduce costs, automakers are exploring quantum computing technology.
This technology could also help identify faulty machinery early, cutting down on repair costs and eliminating unnecessary downtime. These are near-term opportunities for QC teams that could appeal to CEOs, who want to make sure their companies are operating as efficiently as possible.