D-Wave Quantum Inc. and North Wales Police (NWP) have successfully completed a joint proof-of-technology project that leveraged a hybrid-quantum application to optimize the placement of police vehicles for emergency response. The application resulted in a significant reduction in the time to find a solution, from four months to just four minutes. Additionally, it led to a nearly 50% decrease in average incident response times.
The collaboration aimed to address the challenge of optimizing "forward deployment," the strategic positioning of officers in high-risk areas to enable faster response times, enhance visibility, and deter crime. The hybrid-quantum application, utilizing D-Wave's LeapTM quantum cloud service, outperformed NWP's classical optimization solution, demonstrating improved real-time adaptability and the ability to respond to at least 90% of incidents within their target response time.
The project was supported by a grant from the Test and Learn Fund secured from the UK Policing's National Science and Innovation Board. Following its success, the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser for Policing recognized it as being of national cross-government departmental interest with opportunities for future development and deployment.
Alistair Hughes, the lead for analytics and AI at North Wales Police, expressed confidence in the scalability of D-Wave's hybrid-quantum application, believing it could be implemented nationally to save time, reduce costs, improve outcomes, and lower the carbon footprint.
This collaborative success highlights the potential of hybrid-quantum computing to make a meaningful impact in public safety and demonstrates the value of cross-border collaboration. D-Wave's technology, developed in Canada by a U.S. company, has effectively addressed a key UK public sector challenge.
The completion of this project signifies a significant advancement in the application of quantum computing to real-world challenges and showcases the potential for quantum-driven industrial and societal advancements in the future. As a result of these announcements, the company's shares have moved -5.42% on the market, and are now trading at a price of $25.31. If you want to know more, read the company's complete 8-K report here.
