INGENIEUR
computer . It is reported that the company plans to launch a computer with more than 1,000 qubits in two years .
A qubit is the most basic information unit of a quantum computer . Unlike an electronic computer which can only be 0 or 1 , qubits can be 0 and 1 at the same time , so its computational performance is more powerful . Increasing the number of qubits makes the performance of quantum computers exponentially better .
Teams around the world are working on practical quantum computers using superconductors and entangled photons , but it is not clear which approach will ultimately prevail .
In 2019 , Google announced that its Platanus processor achieved quantum supremacy . " Quantum supremacy " is a term invented by John Preskill , a physicist at the California Institute of Technology , to mean that " quantum computers have capabilities that conventional supercomputers don ' t have " after an exponential increase in storage and communication bandwidth . The processor contains 54 qubits . Since then , the University of Science and Technology of China has launched a 62-qubit programmable superconducting quantum computing prototype . D-Wave Systems of Canada has also been selling machines made up of thousands of qubits but customised using quantum annealing algorithms . These are not fully programmable quantum computers .
IBM ' s Bob Souto says that their success in creating a computer with more than 100 qubits shows that the technology is scalable . The " Eagle " proved that a quantum computer with enough computing power to solve interesting problems can be developed and is a stepping stone to a more powerful machine .
Peter Ricker of the University of Oxford in England said it was useful to assess the performance of quantum computers in terms of the number of qubits they can run , but there were other metrics that Eagle had not yet published . Scott Aronson , of the University of Texas at Austin in the US , also said more details were still needed to judge the Eagles ' performance .
IBM said it hopes to demonstrate a processor capable of running 400 qubits next year , and a 1,000-qubit quantum computer called the Condor the following year .
Sandbox and Accelerator – World Economic Forum
Sometimes regulators simply observe the consequences of a new technology in the safety of an isolated environment . This environment , called a sandbox after the closed operating system researchers use to observe computer viruses , provides enhanced regulatory support and enables firms to test their models and develop proofs of concept . In this way , regulatory structures can also emulate a start-up accelerator by deliberately encouraging innovation . In April 2020 , the Financial Conduct Authority of the UK launched a digital sandbox for financial organisations experimenting with innovative business models and products to tackle the pandemic .
Many countries are piloting sandbox approaches for drones . Sandboxes in India , Malawi , Japan and the US have had success in moving from pilot to scale across the country . Malawi ’ s sandbox was the first in Africa , established to test the use of drones for humanitarian purposes such as delivering medical supplies . In the US , the Department of Transportation and the FAA conducted a pilot study with 10 public-private partnerships to test unmanned aerial systems . “ The pilot programmes will test the safe operation of drones in a variety of conditions currently forbidden ,” said Elaine Chao , Secretary , Department of Transportation . “ These include operations over the heads of people , beyond the line of sight and at night .”
The pandemic has also highlighted the role drones can play in moving medical supplies , minimising human contact and supplying essentials to remote areas . In April 2020 , the UK Civil Aviation Authority admitted a drone operator to the sandbox to test beyond visual line of sight ( BVLOS ) operations in shared airspace .
Meanwhile , Digital Jersey , a Governmentbacked economic development agency and industry association in the Channel Islands , has launched an IoT sandbox for the island . Like other sandboxes , it relaxes legal barriers to encourage businesses to test new ideas . The sandbox is open to businesses outside of Jersey as well . A Swiss company tested the model of a “ flying weather station ” in which a drone embedded with sensors collects atmospheric data that can be used to forecast weather and develop other innovative services .
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