QI-TraSiCo – quantum computing for network-wide traffic light control in real time

With more and more traffic on our roads, traffic congestion, waiting times and environmental pollution are becoming increasing problems. As traffic space is limited, especially in urban areas, optimised traffic management plays an important role in this context. The efficiency of traffic light control has a great influence on traffic quality. In large cities with a high number of traffic lights optimisation is a challenge, especially in real time. Present traffic control centres have reached their limits here.

This is where the QI-TraSiCo project comes in. The aim of the project is to use innovative, quantum-inspired computing technology to optimise traffic light control in real time. In a prototypic implementation, several traffic lights of a real test field will be connected with a quantum-inspired backend and optimally controlled.

Challenge

The current challenge is the live optimisation of large road networks with a high number of traffic lights. Network-wide optimisation approaches are known, but due to the limited processing power of conventional traffic control centres, they are usually not computable with sufficient quality in real time. The future availability of powerful quantum computers offers completely new possibilities here. For each traffic light in a road network a large number of different control interventions can be calculated and tested in real time. Then the optimum can be determined and applied live, with a positive effect for all road users.

Objective

In the field of traffic control and optimisation, quantum computing has hardly been tested to date and is not used in regular operations. The reason for this is that the system worlds of innovative quantum computing and conventional traffic technology are not yet compatible with each other. Due to the sometimes very long life cycles of today's traffic technology, the necessary interfaces for coupling with innovative quantum computing systems are not yet available. Furthermore, even when using quantum computing, reliable 24/7 operation must always be ensured in order to prevent failures in live traffic control, which cannot yet always be guaranteed. Furthermore, new control algorithms still need to be designed that are specially adapted to the architecture of quantum computing in order to utilise its full performance potential. In the project QI-TraSiCo, these and other requirements are taken into account with the aim of bringing a prototypical system onto the road.

QI-TraSiCo is a project of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (DLR QCI), made possible with funding from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). It is led by the DLR Institute of Transportation Systems and supported by BearingPoint as contractor.

Project title and website:
QI-TraSiCo (Quantum-Inspired Traffic Signal Control)