[Homemade Quantum Computer NMRQCP] Solving 'Airflow' That Stumps Even Supercomputers!? Mazda and Quantum Computers Create the Car of the Future

*Original Japanese version is available here.

Easy Quantum Technology Explanation for High School Students

Solving "Airflow" That Even Supercomputers Give Up On!? The Future Cars Created by Mazda and Quantum Computers

Published: October 4, 2026 | Topic: Automotive Engineering × Gate-Model Quantum Computers

Hello! I'm a KOSEN student taking on the challenge of developing a quantum computer using a homemade Earth's Field NMR (EFNMR) system.

Are you wondering, "What can a quantum computer actually be used for anyway?"
Actually, cutting-edge research using quantum computers is currently underway in Japan to dramatically improve the performance of the "cars" we see on the streets every day! I will explain the fascination of this without using difficult formulas.

1. Calculating a Car's Air Resistance is Super Hard!

Try to imagine the shape of a bullet train or a supercar. They all have smooth, streamlined shapes, right? This is to reduce the "air resistance" they encounter when driving as much as possible, thereby improving fuel efficiency and increasing speed.

When car manufacturers design a vehicle, they perform detailed simulations on computers to see "how air flows over the body" (this is called CFD: Computational Fluid Dynamics). However, there are countless invisible air molecules in the air, colliding with each other and creating complex vortices.

These calculations are so enormous that even using world-class supercomputers, it can take days or weeks.

2. The Latest News: The Challenge of Mazda × QunaSys

That's where the Japanese automaker "Mazda" and the quantum computer software development startup "QunaSys" stepped up.

Key Points This Time

• Mazda Technical Research Center and QunaSys announced the results and future prospects of their joint research on fluid simulation using quantum computers (Quantum CFD).
• They verified a pathway to rapidly solve things like "complex air vortices" and "heat flow around batteries"—which conventional computers struggle to calculate fully—using quantum algorithms.

*Reference: QunaSys announces efforts and prospects of joint Quantum CAE/CFD research with Mazda Technical Research Center (MONOist)

3. Why Can a Quantum Computer Solve It?

Standard computers handle information as either a "0" or a "1". It's like "checking one path at a time" when solving a maze.

On the other hand, quantum computers use the microscopic laws of physics called "Quantum Mechanics." Because they can "hold both 0 and 1 states simultaneously (superposition)," they can put an enormous number of combinations onto a wave of computation all at once.

Simultaneous equations that solve airflow (such as the Navier-Stokes equations) result in massive matrix calculations with a huge number of intertwined variables. By cleverly utilizing properties like the "wave interference" of quantum computers, it is expected that calculation times can be dramatically reduced.

4. How Will Our Future Change?

If this becomes practical, the electric vehicles (EVs) we drive will have batteries that last longer, and the cabins will be quiet and comfortable even on highways. Also, development periods could be significantly shortened, leading to a rapid succession of safe and eco-friendly cars.

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Perspective of the EFNMRQC (Earth's Field NMR Quantum Computer) Creator

The quantum machines used in industry are predominantly superconducting types that cool down near absolute zero or ion trap types that require vacuum chambers, meaning the equipment is massive.
On the other hand, the EFNMRQC (Earth's Field NMR Quantum Computer), whose hardware I am currently building myself, takes an approach that utilizes the Earth's own weak magnetic field (about 50μT) to operate at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Notes from a Hardware Development Perspective:
Running full-scale algorithms like fluid analysis requires a large number of qubits, but the fundamental matrix operations and interference mechanisms themselves can be tested in principle with just a few qubits. My immediate goal is to detect a clean FID (Free Induction Decay) signal using my homemade RF circuit and receiving pickup coil, and to stabilize gate operations for 1-2 qubits. When I can feel that algorithms solving familiar physical phenomena (fluids) are theoretically connected to the homemade circuits right in front of me, I get incredibly fired up for soldering circuit boards.

To the Readers:
At this stage, there are still few situations that directly and significantly impact our lives, but as practical research advances like this, an era will surely come where it brings massive changes to our lives, much like AI today.

When that happens, I feel it's important to be prepared to stand at the forefront without being left behind by the times. In fact, even now, a big gap is beginning to form between those who can utilize AI effectively and those who cannot.

Don't distance yourself by thinking, "I'm still a student" or "I'm not an engineer." It's fine to start with a field you're interested in, so please start by trying to search for just one topic related to quantum computers. I will continue to publish articles on this blog that can serve as that kind of trigger!

• Daily experiment notes and code: Available on my GitHub repository (nmr-qc-project)
• Real-time development scenes and oscilloscope waveforms: Posting on X (formerly Twitter)

If you are wondering things like "Will it really work?" or "How do you generate waveforms?", please bookmark this blog and follow me on X!