The possibility of integrating quantum computation in a traditional system appears to be a viable route to drastically improve the performance of systems endowed with artificial intelligence. An example of such processing consists of implementing a teleo-reactive system employing quantum computing. In this work, we considered the navigation of a robot in an environment where its decisions are drawn from a quantum algorithm. In particular, the behavior of a robot is formalized through a production system. It is used to describe the world, the actions it can perform, and the conditions of the robot’s behavior. According to the production rules, the planning of the robot activities is processed in a recognize–act cycle with a quantum rule processing algorithm. Such a system aims to achieve a significant computational speed-up.
The possibility of integrating quantum computation in a traditional system appears to be a viable route to drastically improve the performance of systems endowed with artificial intelligence. An example of such processing consists of implementing a teleo-reactive system employing quantum computing. In this work, we considered the navigation of a robot in an environment where its decisions are drawn from a quantum algorithm. In particular, the behavior of a robot is formalized through a production system. It is used to describe the world, the actions it can perform, and the conditions of the robot’s behavior. According to the production rules, the planning of the robot activities is processed in a recognize–act cycle with a quantum rule processing algorithm. Such a system aims to achieve a significant computational speed-up.
Computational resources of quantum computing can enhance robotic motion, decision making, and path planning. While the quantum paradigm is being applied to individual robots, its approach to swarms of simple and interacting robots remains largely unexplored. In this paper, we attempt to bridge the gap between swarm robotics and quantum computing, in the framework of a search and rescue mission. We focus on a decision-making and path-planning collective task. Thus, we present a quantum-based path-planning algorithm for a swarm of robots. Quantization enters position and reward information (measured as a robot’s proximity to the target) and path-planning decisions. Pairwise information-exchange is modeled through a logic gate, implemented with a quantum circuit. Path planning draws upon Grover’s search algorithm, implemented with another quantum circuit. Our case study involves a search and rescue scenario, inspired by ant-foraging behavior in nature, as an example of swarm intelligence. We show that our method outperforms two ant-behavior simulations, in NetLogo and Java, respectively, presenting a faster convergence to the target, represented here by the source of food. This study can shed light on future applications of quantum computing to swarm robotics.
Abstract: Quantum deep reinforcement learning is an integration of the principles of quantum computing with deep reinforcement learning in an effort to advance robot navigation tasks. Due to the explosion of the state and action spaces, traditionally DRL methods are limited in scalability and efficiency. QDRL, however, uses quantum superposition and entanglement for more efficient processing of big amounts of information-it enables robots to learn optimal policies for navigating complex environments. We introduce here a new QDRL framework in which quantum neural networks encode policy functions and value estimates. We demonstrate how quantum circuits can take advantage of multi-dimensional state representations in order to strengthen the power of a robot in changing its environment over time. Benchmark experiments on navigation tasks reflect phenomenal acceleration in learning performance along with better decision-making accuracy compared to classical DRL methods. We then consider integrating such quantum algorithms, as Grover's search, to improve exploration strategies in sparse reward settings. The experiments show that QDRL speeds up convergence rates and provides robots with the possibility to react more rapidly to unexpected obstacles. It discusses new applications for quantum computing of autonomous systems, potentially applied to robotics, autonomous vehicles, and other environments which require complex decision making. Some lines of work in the future are optimization of the resources needed for quantum computers and hybrid architectures for the resolution of classical problems in navigation
Quantum robots and their interactions with environments of quantum systems are described, and their study justified. A quantum robot is a mobile quantum system that includes an on-board quantum computer and needed ancillary systems. Quantum robots carry out tasks whose goals include specified changes in the state of the environment, or carrying out measurements on the environment. Each task is a sequence of alternating computation and action phases. Computation phase activites include determination of the action to be carried out in the next phase, and recording of information on neighborhood environmental system states. Action phase activities include motion of the quantum robot and changes in the neighborhood environment system states. Models of quantum robots and their interactions with environments are described using discrete space and time. A unitary step operator T that gives the single time step dynamics is associated with each task. T=Ta+Tc is a sum of action phase and computation phase step operators. Conditions that Ta and Tc should satisfy are given along with a description of the evolution as a sum over paths of completed phase input and output states. A simple example of a task---carrying out a measurement on a very simple environment---is analyzed in detail. A decision tree for the task is presented and discussed in terms of the sums over phase paths. It is seen that no definite times or durations are associated with the phase steps in the tree, and that the tree describes the successive phase steps in each path in the sum over phase paths.
This paper investigates the potential of quantum computing to revolutionize complex robotics, specifically focusing on optimization of robot control and movement. Traditional robotic control systems often struggle with complex environments and constraints, limiting the ability to achieve optimal performance. We propose a novel quantum algorithm designed to address these challenges by leveraging a dynamic, quantum-based simulation of the physical environment to generate constraints. This approach aims to enable robots to navigate and manipulate objects with unprecedented precision and adaptability. The core mechanism centers on utilizing a quantum solver to efficiently explore the search space of possible robot motions, guided by the simulation's feedback. This contrasts with traditional methods, which often struggle with the high dimensionality and complexity of robot dynamics. The research demonstrates the feasibility of this quantum-driven approach through simulations and preliminary experiments, showcasing potential improvements in robot control and movement.
Over the last 65 years, Artificial Intelligence has successfully transformed robots from simple machines into intelligent autonomous agents. However, as robotics enters high-stakes fields like "Quick Commerce" and complex engineering, classical computing relying on binary bits is hitting a massive "computational ceiling." These traditional systems are simply too slow to process the colossal, high-dimensional data required for instant decision-making. This paper reviews the evolution of AI and identifies the specific hardware bottlenecks limiting modern autonomy. To bridge this gap, we propose "Quantum Power" leveraging qubits, superposition, and entanglement as the essential engine for the next generation of robotics. By synthesizing the interplay between AI and Quantum Computing, this research demonstrates how a hybrid approach can overcome current logistical barriers, moving us toward a future of faster, smarter, and truly symbiotic quantum-powered robots. Despite its promising advantages, the implementation of quantum-AI integration faces several challenges, including limited availability of quantum hardware, noise sensitivity, and the need for hybrid quantum-classical frameworks. The study highlights ongoing research efforts and future directions aimed at overcoming these limitations. Overall, the fusion of quantum computing and AI offers a novel and transformative approach to developing intelligent robotic systems with superior learning and decision-making capabilities.
Quantum computing offers a new approach to the problem modeling and solving. This paper deals with the quantum modeling of reactive agents. It also proposes a quantum algorithm to implement the subsumption architecture, widely used by reactive agents, particularly in robotics. This work shows the contribution of the formalism proposed by quantum mechanics to the modeling and the proof of certain properties of the agent behavior. After, the definition of the reactive agent state modeling, the paper suggests a behavior modeling approach based on two steps for subsumption architecture. The first one models the preset behavior that links each action to the perception states. The second one determines, among several actuated actions, the one that the robot must achieve. The subsumption architecture raises the challenge of modeling hierarchical priority of actions. To this end, a multipartite entanglement is used in the second step. More precisely, the paper proposes and generalizes a W-state circuit in order to be used for modeling hierarchical priority actions and controlling the robot accordingly. The result of both steps provides a formal model that links the robot’s perception (input) to the actions (output), with respect to the subsumption architecture. The proposed model of agent is simulated using IBM quantum computer. The simulation shows that the model can either be served as a control unit of the robot (CU) to obtain the suitable action or to simulate the robot behavior.