Quantum computers aren’t quite ready for the home lab, but since there are ways to connect to some over the Internet, you can experiment with them more easily than you might think. [Norbert] decided to interface a giant quantum computer to an ordinary Arduino. Why? Well, that isn’t necessarily clear, but then again, why not? He explains basic quantum computing and shows his setup in the video below.
Using the IBM quantum computer and the open source Qiskit makes it relatively easy, with the Python code he’s using on the PC acting as a link between the Arduino and the IBM computer. Of course, you can also use simulation instead of using the real hardware, and for such a simple project it probably doesn’t matter.
Granted, the demo is pretty trivial, lighting an LED with the state of qubit. But the technique might be useful if you wanted to, say, gather information from the real world into a quantum computer. You have to start somewhere.
We’ve looked at quantum computers before. They tell us it is the next big thing, so we want to be prepared. Qiskit is one of several options available today to make it easier.
Could have used a 555 for that
Mr. Troll
I was hoping this would be the top comment
I now want to make a 555 timer hat for an arduino.
Yea but the 555 would need to be in a box with a radioactive source, poison and maybe a cat as well. It would probably need to be a cat with superior knowledge of electronics like diodegonewild’s ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsTQdThpQIA&t=783s )
The half live / half dead cat argument died when they realized that there was only a 50% chance that there was a cat in there in there to begin with.
I would have called a quantum computer – a permutation rationalizer. I have no idea why they were called a computer.
However “computer” in German is closer to number cruncher so I guess anything is possible.
Computer use to be a job title for a person that did a lot of math! So you are right number cruncher!