Route Monkey partners with NQIT to develop quantum algorithms for faster route planning

Route optimisation concern Route Monkey is working on a new generation of transport and mobility algorithms for quantum computers.

The Scotland based company, recently acquired by TrakM8, is partnering with the Networked Quantum Information Technologies (NQIT) Hub, led by the University of Oxford. The three organisations will develop, test and commercialise quantum algorithms.

Colin Ferguson, Trakm8 Group’s Managing Director of Fleet and Optimisation, said: “The leap forward in the capabilities offered by quantum computing opens up a whole new field. We can create algorithms that deliver even faster and more accurate answers, to ever more complex transport and mobility challenges.”

Founded in 2009, Route Monkey’s optimisation software reduces unnecessary mileage and improves vehicle utilisation. The algorithms are capable of making millions of calculations in a relatively short space of time, and can help cities deal with congestion.

Ferguson added: “With Heriot-Watt University and the NQIT Hub, we can address the increasingly complex challenges of moving people and goods around our cities, while simultaneously cutting wasted miles and reducing emissions from road transport.”

Dr Iris Choi, Technology Associate at the NQIT Hub, said: “Heriot-Watt University has proven capabilities in mobility algorithm development, while Route Monkey is an acknowledged leader in the application and commercialisation of these algorithms.

“Together we have all the right ingredients to develop, test and apply truly innovative quantum algorithms for optimising urban mobility.”

Currently, each bit in a computer is either at zero or one. A quantum computer has quantum bits, which can be zero, one, or in between. For algorithm-based solutions, this means that the quantum computer only has to run one set of calculations to analyse various scenarios. It can also deal with much larger, more complex data sets and crunch the numbers much faster.