Today's Edition
Mays Ibrahim (ABU DHABI)
Thousands of lives are lost globally each year due to gas pipeline failures — silent, invisible threats that often go undetected until it’s too late. But a new solution, QGasBusters, is aiming to change that, using quantum sensing and machine learning to detect leaks early and optimise emergency responses.
By analysing subtle anomalies in pipeline infrastructure with unprecedented sensitivity, QGasBusters could provide critical early warnings to avert industrial disasters and save lives.
“Anything related to saving lives is incredibly important to us,” Tamara Hamad, one of the creators of QGasBusters, told Aletihad on the team’s decision to develop this solution.
“During our research, we discovered that thousands of lives are lost each year due to gas leaks, particularly in industrial zones. This alarming statistic raised a serious concern within our team and became the driving force behind our desire to find a solution.”
“We felt a strong responsibility to address this real-world issue and to develop a system that could help detect and neutralise gas leaks before they turn into tragedies,” she added.
QGasBusters, aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, industry safety, and sustainable cities, according to Hamad.
“It also supports the UAE’s vision in innovation, sustainability, and the development of future-ready technologies to enhance quality of life and protect the environment. We are proud to contribute, even in a small way, to these national and global goals through our work,” she said.
The project was initially conceived last year during NYU Abu Dhabi’s Annual International Hackathon for Social Good, where students from around the world gathered to build solutions to real-world challenges using AI and quantum computing.
QGasBusters stood out among dozens of projects, earning not just the top honours but also an invitation to present at the prestigious GESDA Summit in Geneva.
Creating a Prototype
Yet the journey to a working prototype was anything but straightforward. In just 48 hours, the team had to bridge complex scientific concepts with real-world practicality – merging the sensitivity of quantum sensors with the predictive power of AI.
The technical challenge was immense: quantum sensing and quantum machine learning are both rapidly evolving fields and integrating them into a viable system demanded intensive problem-solving under tight deadlines.
“Our biggest hurdle was ensuring that the technologies we proposed could realistically work together,” said Mateo Stipanicic, another member of the team. “We had lengthy discussions with industry mentors to refine our approach and frame it in a scientifically valid way.”
“The theoretical viability of the sketched solution was our greatest challenge,” Stipanicic said.
“Our proposal was based on the combined capabilities of quantum sensing and quantum computation, so the possibility of getting these technologies closer to each other was a real struggle. Lengthy and heavy conversations with tech industry mentors were useful to frame our hypothesis in a valid way.”
Part of QGasBusters’ strength came from the team’s diversity – not just in nationality, but in expertise.
“The opportunity to team up with students from different backgrounds was really valuable,” Stipanicic said. “The multicultural atmosphere, a driver for exchange and discussion, and the intertwining of disciplines was great to experience: physics, engineering, computer science, data analysis, policy-making, diplomacy and business were blended together.”
Following their win in Abu Dhabi, the team travelled to Geneva to showcase their innovation at the GESDA Summit, a gathering of the world’s leading scientists, policymakers, and futurists.
There, QGasBusters received feedback that has helped the team continue developing the project toward real-world deployment.
“Our privileged participation in such a world-renowned event was possible due to a warm team of contributors across the global quantum community, onto which we felt most welcomed,” Stipanicic said.
“If something characterises the quantum industry is being ecosystem-first and cross-lines, and taking part of GESDA Summit meant embracing that spirit fully, through engagement with policymakers, scientists and innovators beyond the labs.”
From Hackathon to Real World
Today, Hamad and Stipanicic are working with GESDA and industry mentors to refine QGasBusters, exploring possibilities for pilot programmes and industrial partnerships. Their goal is to transform a hackathon-born idea into a practical tool that industries can deploy globally.
Stipanicic is a researcher and technologist with a background in philosophy and industrial engineering from the Universidad de Montevideo in Uruguay. He is leading an effort to bring similar hackathon experiences to Latin America, aiming to give other young innovators the same opportunities he received at NYUAD.
Hamad, a data scientist and aspiring technologist based in the UAE, helped mentor students in this year’s hackathon, hoping to inspire the next generation of tech-driven changemakers.
“It feels incredibly rewarding to give back to a community that has played such a pivotal role in shaping my journey. I’m excited to continue learning, growing, and contributing to meaningful tech-driven solutions,” Hamad said.
