Researchers from the University of Palermo and CNR-ICAR are investigating how quantum computing concepts can support action selection in reactive robots. Their work pro- poses a hybrid classical–quantum architecture in which sensor data are mapped into a Hilbert-space representa- tion and used to select robot actions under uncertainty.
Quantum-enhanced dynamic feedback loops offer a paradigm shift in robotic control, moving beyond traditional reactive systems towards proactive and adaptive architectures. This paper explores the potential of utilizing quantum computing to create feedback loops that surpass current limitations in precision, responsiveness, and adaptability. We delve into the core claim of enhancing robotic control through the implementation of quantum-enhanced dynamic feedback mechanisms, focusing on achieving improved control characteristics and addressing the limitations of reactive control strategies. The paper outlines a proposed system architecture, detailing the underlying quantum algorithms and their potential impact on robotic task execution.
This textbook provides a comprehensive foundation for the emerging interdisciplinary field of quantum robotics. It systematically addresses the core question of how quantum computational principles can be formulated to address fundamental challenges in robotics: planning, optimization, perception, and control. The work is structured to build a rigorous bridge between the abstract mathematics of quantum information and the concrete computational problems of autonomous systems. The first part establishes the necessary foundations, introducing the computational models of quantum circuits alongside the classical formulations of robotic kinematics, dynamics, and state estimation. The second part is dedicated to quantum algorithmic primitives, with detailed exposition on quantum search, quantum linear algebra, and quantum optimization algorithms. Each algorithmic chapter explicitly maps these primitives to robotic problem classes, such as motion planning, sensor data processing, and trajectory optimization, discussing both potential advantages and current practical constraints. The third part focuses on system integration and forward-looking perspectives. It explores quantum machine learning models for robotic learning, outlines hybrid quantum-classical computer architectures required for real-world applications, and rigorously examines the ethical and societal implications of increasingly capable quantum-optimized autonomous systems. The textbook concludes with practical appendices detailing software tools, benchmark problems, and problem sets. Designed for graduate students and researchers in robotics, computer science, and quantum engineering, this book emphasizes clear problem formulation, realistic resource analysis, and verifiable claims. Its goal is to equip the next generation of scientists and engineers with the principles and critical perspective needed to advance the field beyond theoretical potential into practical, validated technology.
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.
This study explores how quantum computing can reshape the intelligence, adaptability, and learning capacity of humanoid robotics. It examines how quantum principles such as superposition and entanglement allow robots to process and evaluate information in parallel, leading to faster, more flexible responses than those built on classical computing. The paper connects ideas from quantum machine learning (QML), quantum optimization, and quantum reinforcement learning (QRL) to practical scenarios in humanoid robotics, where rapid reasoning and context awareness are essential. Within a hybrid quantum-classical framework, the study outlines how these methods can enhance robotic perception, decision-making, and natural-language interaction, making cognitive robotics more adaptive in complex domains such as healthcare, manufacturing, and disaster response. Rather than presenting a full solution, this work defines a pathway for integrating quantum algorithms into real robotic architectures. The results indicate that combining quantum computing with humanoid robotics through hybrid quantum-classical systems could lead to a new stage of robotic intelligence machines able to handle uncertainty, learn continuously, and reason in ways that reflect deeper, more human-like awareness.
This book chapter explores the emerging field of quantum robotics and its potential to revolutionize the design and functionality of intelligent and adaptive robotic systems. It discusses the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics and their application to robotics, highlighting the advantages that quantum technologies offer in terms of computational power, information processing, and communication. The chapter presents various approaches to incorporating quantum elements into robotics, such as quantum sensors, quantum control systems, and quantum-inspired algorithms. Furthermore, it examines the challenges and opportunities in the development of quantum robotics, including hardware constraints, algorithm design, and the integration of classical and quantum components. Overall, this chapter provides an overview of the state-of-the-art in quantum robotics and identifies future directions for research and development.
The increasing convergence of quantum computing (QC) and advanced robotic control is giving rise to a new class of intelligent automation systems. Utilizing quantum-inspired computational principles, contemporary robotic platforms demonstrate greater optimization efficiency, superior perceptual processing, and improved decision-making performance. This survey outlines the principal quantum-oriented control methodologies utilized in robotics, with particular emphasis on approaches that incorporate Quantum Neural Networks (QNN), Quantum Machine Learning (QML), and Quantum-behaved Particle Swarm Optimization (QPSO). The investigation systematically reviews recent advances in quantum-assisted adaptive control, trajectory planning, and optimization frameworks, spotlighting their contributions to improved robustness, precision, and energy efficiency. By analyzing research in quantum reinforcement learning, distributed Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) computing, and hybrid quantum-classical approaches, this review clarifies how quantum principles are transforming both theoretical and practical aspects of robotic control. Likewise, several real-world implementations ranging from industrial manipulators to autonomous and cognitive robotic systems demonstrate the growing feasibility of quantum-enhanced decision-making. The review concludes that while remarkable progress has been made in quantum-inspired control for robotics, most existing studies remain constrained to simulations with restricted experimental validation on physical platforms. Addressing this gap will be essential in future research to transition from theoretical and simulated models toward hardware-level implementations, enabling the realization of scalable, fault-tolerant quantum control architectures.