QCi Secures Fifth NASA Contract to Advance Quantum-Powered LiDAR for Climate Change Studies
Insider Brief:
- Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi) has been awarded a fifth project from NASA to develop quantum remote sensing technology intended to lower the cost of spaceborne LiDAR imaging for climate change research.
- QCi’s approach uses integrated photonics and quantum optics to reduce the cost of LiDAR missions, allowing NASA to conduct more frequent atmospheric remote sensing flights, improving scientific understanding of climate change.
- The contract advances QCi’s ongoing work with NASA, including the use of its entropy quantum optimization machine, Dirac-3, to denoise sunlight in satellite LiDAR images by converting the denoising task into an optimization problem.
PRESS RELEASE — Quantum Computing Inc., an innovative, integrated photonics and quantum optics technology company, announced that the Company has been awarded a fifth project from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop quantum remote sensing technology that would significantly lower the cost of spaceborne LIDAR imaging and advance scientific understanding of the mechanisms of climate change.
This is a continuation of a long-standing strategic partnership between NASA and QCi aimed at creating a radically different approach to LiDAR technology for atmospheric remote sensing measurements. The proposed approach, which is currently being developed by QCi, would significantly lower the cost of LIDAR missions, thereby allowing NASA to undertake more frequent flights to better understand the causes of climate change. The recently awarded contract is an important milestone in further assessing viability of QCi’s technology.
The new contract also marks a pivotal step toward deploying the Company’s remote sensing technology on LIDAR flights and further establishes the applicability of its quantum technology in diverse fields, such as civilian and military surveillance.
“QCi is honored to support NASA in this critical mission dedicated to advancing remote sensing and climate change monitoring. This new technology aims to reduce the cost of LiDAR missions from billions to millions and ultimately will help us in understanding the root causes of climate change and contribute to NASA’s efforts to protect the earth’s environment,” stated Dr. William McGann, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at QCi. “This partnership reinforces QCi’s commitment to providing innovative, cost-effective solutions for various remote sensing applications and highlights the transformative potential of QCi’s quantum remote sensing technology for climate research and environmental management strategies.”
The contract announced today builds upon QCi’s work helping NASA denoise the sunlight in satellite LiDAR images by using the Company’s latest entropy quantum optimization machine, the Dirac-3, to simulate the background noise and turn the denoising problem into an optimization problem.
About Quantum Computing Inc.
Quantum Computing Inc. is an innovative, integrated photonics and quantum optics technology company that provides accessible and affordable quantum machines to the world today. QCi products are designed to operate at room temperature and low power at an affordable cost. The Company’s portfolio of core technology and products offer unique capabilities in the areas of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, as well as remote sensing applications.