• World-first: Quantum-inspired optimization computer installed on mobile robot FPGA-powered robot avoided moving objects in real time, predicting paths to improve safe and efficient navigation. • Japanese firms Toshiba and MIRISE Technologies have demonstrated a breakthrough in autonomous mobility. • The firms have embedded Toshiba’s Simulated Bifurcation Machine (SBM), a quantum-inspired optimization computer, directly into a mobile robot. • Installed on a MIRISE-developed autonomous platform, the SBM enables real-time processing of complex multi-object tracking tasks under strict size and power constraints. • The achievement marks the first time a quantum-inspired optimization system has been integrated inside a mobile device for autonomous control. • Real-time robot vision Driven by labor shortages, demand for autonomous vehicles and mobile robots is increasing across logistics and smart mobility sectors.

Article Summaries:

  • Japanese companies Toshiba and MIRISE Technologies have embedded Toshiba’s Simulated Bifurcation Machine (SBM), a quantum‑inspired optimization computer, into a mobile robot platform. The FPGA‑based SBM processes complex multi‑object tracking in real time, achieving 23 fps and outperforming standard benchmarks by up to 23 % on occlusion scenarios. In field tests, the robot used SBM‑derived tracking data to predict moving‑object trajectories, adjust occupancy zones, and plan dynamic paths, reducing unnecessary avoidance maneuvers and improving navigation efficiency. This marks the first deployment of a quantum‑inspired optimization system directly inside a mobile device for autonomous control.

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