China releases Origin Pilot quantum OS to lower technological barriers

China has unveiled a self-developed quantum computer operating system, Origin Pilot, which is now available for download, according to the Science and Technology Daily on Thursday.

This move is expected to significantly lower the development barriers and accelerate China’s autonomous growth in the quantum computing ecosystem.

Developed independently by Hefei-based Origin Quantum Computing Technology Co., Ltd., Origin Pilot was first introduced in 2021. After multiple updates and improvements, the operating system has become an advanced platform supporting key technological pathways, including superconducting, ion trap, and neutral atom quantum processors. Currently, the system is deployed and operational on the Origin Wukong series of quantum computers, the newspaper reported.

The quantum computer operating system handles core functions like resource management and software-hardware coordination. It also features critical capabilities such as parallel quantum task processing and automatic qubit calibration, greatly boosting the overall efficiency of quantum computers.

By opening its unified programming interfaces and standardized control system, Origin Pilot removes technical barriers in core quantum computing software, enabling research institutions, universities, and developers worldwide to easily access China’s independently developed quantum computer operating system.

Dou Menghan, leader of the Origin Pilot development team, was quoted as saying in the newspaper, “Completing the download at the official website of Origin Quantum, users can efficiently connect to various physical quantum chips and conduct quantum programming based on independent frameworks like QPanda.”