2020 Airbus Quantum Computing Challenge
The Airbus Quantum Computing challenge has ended and we are proud to announce the 2020 winner : the team Machine Learning Reply.
Outcomes of the challenge
Airbus experts from engineering and flight physics teamed up with leading academic and industry experts in Quantum Computing have selected Team Machine Learning Reply as winner for this edition.
In their submission Machine Learning Reply solves the loading optimization problem of the Airbus Quantum Computing Challenge using a quantum algorithm.
“Finding the optimal loading for a plane is a challenging task for classical algorithms, especially because the solution must respect several flight constraints simultaneously. In this work we prove that optimization problems like this one can be mathematically modelled and solved through Quantum computing, offering a new solution path forward.”Giovanni Pilon, the winning team leader explains.
Congratulations to the winning team!
Machine Learning Reply Team
About the competition
With traditional computers gradually approaching their limits, the quantum computer promises to deliver a new level of computational power. As an active user of advanced computing solutions, Airbus is at the forefront of a paradigm shift in the computing world exploring how quantum computing could solve key questions for the aerospace industry, and forever alter how aircraft are built and flown.
To take us one step further, Airbus launched a global quantum computing competition in January 2019, challenging experts and enthusiasts in the field to join forces with the company for a Quantum Era in aerospace.
A jury composed of world-leading quantum computing experts - from academia to industry - teamed up with Airbus to evaluate submitted proposals to the Airbus Quantum Computing Challenge.
Challenges
Flight physics, the broad denomination of all scientific and engineering aspects related to the flight of aircraft, is at the heart of Airbus’ business. The topic affects virtually all aspects of an aircraft’s life: from design to operation, from the quality of movement through the air to the revenue stream of airlines. The full lifecycle features many computationally difficult problems. Although computational methods and approaches exist today to address these challenges, Airbus, in its drive for innovation and improvement, is constantly seeking to revolutionise capabilities to provide innovative products that fly!
To accompany this transformation Airbus proposed five challenges faced in aircraft design and in-service optimisation for Quantum Computing experts and enthusiasts (post-graduate students, PhDs, academics, researchers, start-ups, or professionals in the field) to resolve using quantum computing and embark on this transformation journey collaboratively.
Solutions will enable Airbus to assess how this burgeoning computational technology could be included or even replace other high-performance computational tools that, today, form the cornerstone of aircraft design.
Read a short summary of the five problem statements.
Technical dossiers of the 5 problem statements
Podcasts
Contact
If you have questions about the Airbus Quantum Computing Challenge please access the Frequently Asked Questions below or send us an email at quantum-computing@airbus.com and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.