The Flying Machine Arena (FMA) is a portable space devoted to
autonomous flight. Measuring up to 10 x 10 x 10 meters, it
consists of a high-precision motion capture system, a wireless
communication network, and custom software executing
sophisticated algorithms for estimation and control. The motion
capture system can locate multiple objects in the space at rates
exceeding 200 frames per second. While this may seem extremely
fast, the objects in the space can move at speeds in excess of
10 m/s, resulting in displacements of over 5 cm between
successive snapshots. This information is fused with other data
and models of the system dynamics to predict the state of the
objects into the future. The system uses this knowledge to
determine what commands the vehicles should execute next to
achieve their desired behavior, such as performing high-speed
flips, balancing objects, building structures, or engaging in a
game of paddle-ball. Then, via wireless links, the system sends
the commands to the vehicles, which execu