The 2019 Consumer Electronics Show is currently ongoing in Las Vegas, and US tech giant IBM has just unveiled its latest creation with the first ever quantum computer designed for commercial use, the IBM Q System One.
Quantum computers promise to outperform regular machines at certain tasks by exploiting the strange properties of quantum physics, and the IBM Q utilizes theories of physics to create computing techniques that are far more powerful than current devices. Unlike modern computers that function using a binary system that give answers made up of ones and zeros, quantum computers use quantum particles known as qubits, allowing huge data sets or complicated algorithms to be answered much faster. Potential real-world applications of quantum computing can be used to revolutionize the fields of medicine, artificial intelligence, financial markets and online security.
In terms of the IBM Q System One’s appearance, the computer is defined by a stack of circuit boards and wires, encased in a metal cylinder that sits in a half-inch thick glass case.
IBM’s computer is a 20-qubit machine, and while it won’t be available to the public, the company has announced plans to open its first IBM Q Quantum Computation Center for commercial clients in Poughkeepsie, New York later this year. To learn more about the IBM Q System One, head on over to the company’s website now.
Last year, IBM unveiled the world’s smallest computer.
