Design and Simulation of an Autonomous Quantum Flying Robot Vehicle: An IBM Quantum Experience

Abstract

The application of quantum computation and information in robotics has caught the attention of researchers off late. The field of robotics has always put its effort on the minimization of the space occupied by the robot, and on making the robot 'smarter. 'The smartness of a robot is its sensitivity to its surroundings and the user input and its ability to react upon them desirably. Quantum phenomena in robotics make sure that the robots occupy less space and the ability of quantum computation to process the huge amount of information effectively, consequently making the robot smarter. Braitenberg vehicle is a simple circuited robot that moves according to the input that its sensors receive. Building upon that, we propose a quantum robot vehicle that is 'smart' enough to understand the complex situations more than that of a simple Braitenberg vehicle and navigate itself as per the obstacles present. It can detect an obstacle-free path and can navigate itself accordingly. It also takes input from the user when there is more than one free path available. When left with no option on the ground, it can airlift itself off the ground. As these vehicles sort of 'react to the surrounding conditions, this idea can be used to build artificial life and genetic algorithms, space exploration and deep-earth exploration probes, and a handy tool in defense and intelligence services.