寶馬(ma)集(ji)團可(ke)能(neng)借(jie)助Classiq量(liang)子設計平(ping)臺和(he)NVIDIA的(de)GPU執行量(liang)子計算(suan)來改(gai)進未來汽車(che)的(de)電氣和(he)機械架構。(寶馬(ma))
寶(bao)馬(ma) iX xDrive50 展(zhan)示了汽車(che)制造商(shang)未來的一個版本。即將推出的寶(bao)馬(ma)汽車(che)可(ke)能(neng)會采用利用量子計(ji)算研發的更高效架構。(寶(bao)馬(ma))
Classiq曾(ceng)將其量(liang)子(zi)計算效率技術應(ying)用于勞斯萊斯的航(hang)空事業。(Classiq)
從電(dian)機到機械臂,所有汽車(che)組件均可利用強大(da)的(de)算法(fa)進行分析。
作(zuo)為寶馬汽車(che)新興技(ji)術(shu)團隊的(de)成(cheng)員,Lukas Müller的(de)工(gong)作(zuo)是對各種(zhong)新技(ji)術(shu)進行深(shen)入分析,以(yi)評估(gu)寶馬是否有(you)望應(ying)用(yong)這些技(ji)術(shu)。他并非首位考慮量子計算如何影(ying)響寶馬集團造車(che)方式的(de)內部員工(gong),但他向SAE透露,寶馬正(zheng)計劃(hua)駕馭(yu)更(geng)強大的(de)計算機以(yi)打造更(geng)優(you)質的(de)未(wei)來汽車(che),而他所做的(de)工(gong)作(zuo)只是冰山一角(jiao)。
今年6月,寶馬(ma)宣布將與Classiq和(he)(he)英偉達(da)達(da)成(cheng)合作,共同(tong)研究(jiu)最適合未來汽(qi)車的(de)電氣(qi)和(he)(he)機械系統的(de)架構設計(ji)。他們(men)的(de)合作思路是利(li)用量(liang)子計(ji)算(suan)開發(fa)出一(yi)種實(shi)時解決方案,將傳動系看作線性(xing)方程組(zu)來分(fen)析動力總(zong)成(cheng)中可能(neng)包含(han)的(de)電機、電池、冷卻(que)系統等一(yi)系列組(zu)件,從而(er)提高汽(qi)車架構的(de)效率。
Müller表(biao)示:“我們決(jue)定從一(yi)個非(fei)常基(ji)礎的(de)問題入手,選取汽車中的(de)四個組(zu)件(jian),并向(xiang)算法提出(chu)(chu)問題,例如,‘這(zhe)些(xie)組(zu)件(jian)之間采取怎樣(yang)的(de)熱量傳遞和連接方(fang)(fang)式才(cai)能(neng)(neng)達到(dao)最(zui)高效率(lv)?’也許(xu)你會(hui)(hui)向(xiang)算法提供(gong)一(yi)些(xie)解(jie)決(jue)方(fang)(fang)案(an)(an),例如功率(lv)各不(bu)相同的(de)冷卻(que)設備(bei),當然這(zhe)些(xie)方(fang)(fang)案(an)(an)可能(neng)(neng)會(hui)(hui)非(fei)常昂貴。而算法最(zui)終可能(neng)(neng)會(hui)(hui)輸出(chu)(chu)這(zhe)樣(yang)的(de)結果:‘最(zui)高效的(de)解(jie)決(jue)方(fang)(fang)案(an)(an)是(shi)將這(zhe)三個組(zu)件(jian)以(yi)A方(fang)(fang)式連接起來(lai)’,或是(shi)‘選擇(ze)這(zhe)四個組(zu)件(jian),將其中三個相連,另一(yi)個僅與B組(zu)件(jian)相連’。”
Müller以寶(bao)馬利(li)用量子計算研(yan)究PVC的(de)應(ying)用策略(lve)為例向我(wo)們進一步解釋:“我(wo)們面臨的(de)主要問(wen)題(ti)是(shi)‘一個(ge)或(huo)多個(ge)機器(qi)人完成這項工(gong)作的(de)最(zui)佳順序是(shi)什么?’隨著處(chu)理的(de)接(jie)縫數(shu)增加,可執行的(de)順序數(shu)量可能會呈指數(shu)級增長(chang)。如果(guo)機器(qi)人可使(shi)用不同類型的(de)工(gong)具,比如角式噴嘴或(huo)雙(shuang)噴嘴,那么問(wen)題(ti)就會變(bian)(bian)得更加復雜。即使(shi)只涉及到幾秒鐘,甚至不到一秒的(de)用時(shi)變(bian)(bian)化,也(ye)會對后(hou)續流程(cheng)產生影響(xiang)。”
Everything from electric motors to robot arms can be looked at through the lens of a powerful algorithm.
As part of BMW’s Emerging Technologies team, Lukas Müller picks apart new ideas to evaluate if they are relevant for the automaker. He wasn’t the first at BMW to look into how quantum computing might change the way the German automaker builds cars, but he told SAE Media that the work he’s doing is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to harnessing more powerful computers that will help build the better cars of tomorrow.
In June, BMW announced it would collaborate with Classiq and NVIDIA to find optimal architecture designs for the electrical and mechanical systems in future vehicles. The idea was to use quantum computing to develop a real-time solution that would make a vehicle’s architecture more efficient by analyzing a series of potential motors, batteries, cooling systems and other components that might be used in the powertrain by looking at a drive train as a series of linear equations.
“It’s a really complex system,” Classiq’s technical marketing manager, Erik Garcell, told SAE Media. “When you get into the data, you have to worry about the phase of the power going into these systems, too, and timing that and making sure it’s all good.”
Garcell said any eventual product that comes out of this project would be an on-board device that calculates what to turn on and what to turn off in which sequence based on real-time data. Since scalable quantum systems are not yet available, the difficult analysis would be done by the quantum computer before the vehicles are built. Then, simpler, on-board systems would use the learnings to control powertrain devices based on the rules the quantum system came up with. Garcell said the next step was to apply a quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) to the problem.
“We were trying to optimize the system of linear equations, that drivetrain we’re talking about of electrical components,” he said. “How do you optimize this huge and complex neural network? It’s not just the one pass. It’s feeding data into itself. You could think of it almost like a graph theory problem. By optimizing this using this QAOA algorithm, they’re able to figure out a more efficient system of linear equations which they can then backtrack out to the original system and say, this is the more optimal drive train. If this is connected to this, connected to this, connected to this, in this way, and the data is feeding to each other in this way, that would be the most efficient linear equation, the more efficient electronic drive train that would more often than not save energy.”
Step one of the whole process though, was understanding what quantum computers can and can’t do to solve this problem, according to BMW’s Müller. Understanding how robots might shave a few milliseconds off of their job time – another of BMW’s quantum computing projects – is different than running simulations to discover which pipe thickness will work best or how to optimize the flow of the cooling liquid in a vehicle.
“We decided on, as a very basic problem, taking four components that would exist in a car and asking, for example, how do we transfer heat between them and how do we connect them together,” Müller said. “Maybe you could put into the solution space a range of different coolers which have different powers but, of course, they might be more expensive. In the end, the algorithm would spit out, ‘the most efficient one is taking these three and connecting them together in that way,’ or ‘take these four, but connect these three and this one only to this component.”
Classiq previously worked with Rolls Royce on jet engines and has done work with other automotive OEMs. The work with BMW, though, is the first automotive endeavor that Classiq can talk about publicly.
“Quantum computers are supposed to be, essentially, the game changer for optimization,” Garcell said. “A lot of companies are looking at them, not just to make their electric cars more efficient, but to build better batteries themselves, through quantum simulation, to create kind of new compounds for the battery that can either charge faster or hold more charge overall. There are a lot of different places people are looking into quantum computing for the automotive space.”
BMW does have a small number of people working on quantum computing, doing their own research, working on papers and working with external companies, Müller said. In early 2024, BMW partnered with Airbus for the Airbus-BMW Group Quantum Computing Challenge (ABQCC) which was designed to “harness quantum technologies for real-world industrial applications.”
Before investigating electrical architectures using quantum computers, BMW used the technology to test out factory improvements. Specifically, Müller was involved in quantum work on robot path planning in a manufacturing facility. BMW hasn’t yet putting quantum computing’s solutions to work in its plants, with optimized robots cruising around actual production lines. Instead, BMW is investigating which problems are amenable to quantum computer solutions and how much speed and efficiency might be gained.
“Optimization problems are one of our key areas because we have quite a lot of them,” Müller said. “Producing and designing vehicles is one of the most complex tasks there is. Nowadays, there are more and more robot arms that work in the factory. And you always want to decrease the time they need to finish a certain task, because this can have big influences on how quick we are able to produce the cars.”
BMW used quantum computing to investigate its PVC application strategy, Müller said. “The main question is, ‘what’s the best order for one or maybe multiple robots to do this?’ The number of possibilities of the order that you can do increases exponentially with the number of seams that you have. It gets more complex if you have different kinds of tools that the robot can use, maybe corner nozzles or ones with two nozzles. Even if you [just] get a couple of seconds, or less than a second improvement, this can have influences down the line.”
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