Quantum Shuttle: Traffic Navigation with Quantum Computing

TL;DR

This paper presents a pioneering application of quantum computing to real-time traffic route optimization during a major event, demonstrating the potential of quantum processors in operational decision-making.

Contribution

It introduces the first commercial use of a quantum processor for live traffic management, integrating quantum optimization with real-time data in a practical setting.

Findings

Successful implementation of quantum-based route optimization in a real-world scenario

Improved traffic flow during the event through quantum-assisted routing

First known use of quantum computing for critical live operational tasks

Abstract

The Web Summit conference in Lisbon, Portugal, is one of the biggest technology conferences in Europe, attended by tens of thousands of people every year. The high influx of people into Lisbon causes significant stress on the city's transit services for the duration of the conference. For the Web Summit 2019, Volkswagen AG partnered with the city of Lisbon for a pilot project to provide quantum computing-based traffic optimization. A two-phase solution was implemented: the first phase used data science techniques to analyze the movement of people from previous conferences to build temporary new bus routes throughout the city. The second phase used a custom Android navigation app installed in the buses operated by Carris, powered by a quantum optimization service provided by Volkswagen that connected to live traffic data and a D-Wave quantum processing unit to optimize the buses' routes in real-time. To our knowledge, this is the first commercial application that depends on a quantum processor to perform a critical live task.