Optimizing cargo loading with quantum computing

Quantum computing software is now being used to address the needs of air cargo loading optimization. Uruguay-based tech startup Quantum-South has developed a tech solution to optimize how cargo is loaded into unit load devices (ULDs) on a freighter or passenger aircraft. Quantum computing combines computer science, physics, mathematics and quantum mechanics to solve problems more quickly than traditional computing solutions in cases with myriad outcomes. In 2021, Quantum-South founders Martin Machin and Rafael Sotelo developed the “complete solution … optimizing a complete Airbus A330-200F with realistic features in a quantum annealer platform,” according to a 2022 presentation by the company. Quantum annealing uses intrinsic quantum physics to help solve larger problems, according to D-Wave , a developer of quantum computers. In this case, the annealing platform aids in optimizing how airfreight is loaded. [caption id="attachment_57137226" align="alignleft" width="338"] (Photo/Can Stock)[/caption] The software solution allows customers to organizeshipments more efficiently, saving time and, in some cases, reducing the number of flights needed, Machin told Air Cargo Next. “We aim to help companies to improve thermal load factor. We bring quantum computing to improve what the rest of conventional software couldn’t find,” Machin said. “This is a complex problem from a computational perspective. And, with quantum physics, we expect to improve whatever has the best solution, even if it really is 1%, 10% or 30% [of cost].” This process could lead to cost savings, Machin said. “So that’s where we are trying to improve,” he said. “We started with optimizing how to load containers in an aircraft to try to maximize the space usage, the volume and weight restriction to the maximum level, but also prioritize all the things that the customers may require, like revenue, profit or even priority for their customers.” Building on technology Quantum-South this month announced enhancements to its software to further address loading factors using quantum algorithms. These upgrades consider maximum weight and length, center of gravity, shear and the shape of a carrier’s fuselage, and ensure that the technology aligns with compliance regulations and necessary restrictions, Machin said. Quantum-South last year successfully began proofs of concept of its technology with IAG Cargo , the cargo-handling division of carrier International Airlines Group , Machin said. It is now working with companies in the United States, as well, though Machin declined to name them. IAG Cargo did not respond to inquiries from Air Cargo Next. The use of quantum computing to solve an optimization issue makes sense for black and white issues, technology consultant Bradley Herbert told Air Cargo Next . In the case of organizing massive quantities of airfreight, it could be extremely beneficial, Herbert said . “Quantum computing is a very different way of computing, and the advantage of it comes in processing very large mathematical equations,” Herbert said. “[It benefits from] running tests in parallels, running a lot of tests at the same time. It’s not that quantum computers are always the best answer for solving any problem. They are really the best answer when you can … define what the algorithm is that will produce the answer.” In cases such as loading aircraft with ULDs filled with hundreds of tonnes of airfreight, using quantum computing to produce the most efficient method of loading will be beneficial, Herbert said. With the airfreight industry adopting digitalization more rapidly than ever, Machin believes using quantum algorithms to solve efficiency issues will become increasingly prevalent. Join Air Cargo Next for the second Air Cargo Tech Summit on Monday, Sept. 18, and Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Brussels Marriott Hotel Grand Place in Belgium. For more information on the summit and to register, click here .

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