Quantum-inspired system solution for the control of traffic light systems

19. November 2024

We are looking for companies to contribute a quantum-inspired system solution for the control of traffic light systems (LSA) to our QI-TraSiCo traffic control project.

Participation in the tendering process is possible via TED 699698-2024 | Subreport E77977589. The submission deadline is 18 December 2024 at 2 pm.

The volume of traffic on our roads is constantly increasing, resulting in more and more traffic jams, waiting times and environmental pollution. As expanding the road infrastructure is not the solution to the problem, optimising traffic control is the main option. The control of traffic light systems – or traffic lights – in particular has a decisive influence on traffic quality. The challenge here lies in the live optimisation of entire road networks with a large number of traffic lights. Optimisation approaches for network-wide control systems are known, but until now they were usually not executable with sufficient quality in real time due to the limited computing power of conventional traffic computers. Quantum computers offer completely new possibilities here. A large number of different switching variants can be calculated and tested in real time for each traffic light system within a solution space. The optimum can thus be determined and switched live at the traffic lights. However, the use of quantum computing to optimise traffic control has not yet been tested in practice. And the current traffic infrastructure is not yet compatible with innovative quantum computing hardware and software solutions.

Completely new possibilities

This is where the DLR Institute of Transportation Systems QI-TraSiCo project comes in. In a prototype implementation, quantum-inspired computing technology is to be coupled with real traffic light systems in a test field and perform real-time control. The aim is to demonstrate the technical feasibility and the already existing practical usability of quantum computing for applications in the field of traffic optimisation. Quantum computing is thus moving into the focus of municipalities and infrastructure operators, with the option of using it to solve future mobility optimisation and automation tasks. As part of the project collaboration, the contractor is required to contribute a quantum-inspired system solution to the QI-TraSiCo project for the control of traffic light systems (LSA) and thus cover the field of quantum computing.

We have published the complete service description under TED 699698-2024 | Subreport E77977589. This contract award is also suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and especially for start-ups.